The Moscow Metro marks its 91st anniversary on May 15, continuing its transformation from a single subway line into one of the world's largest and most advanced urban rail systems. Since the opening of the first Sokolnicheskaya Line in 1935, the network has grown into the backbone of Moscow's transport infrastructure, integrated with the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) and the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD).
Moscow Metro Expands Across the Megacity
Today, nine out of 10 Moscow residents live within walking distance of a metro, MCC or MCD station. More than eight million passenger trips take place on the metro every working day, making it the most popular form of transport in the Russian capital.
Since 2010, the number of stations has increased from 182 to 306, including MCC stations. Authorities have built or reconstructed 127 stations in just over a decade — a pace that would have taken around 40 years during the Soviet era.
Major additions include the Nekrasovskaya Line, the Solntsevskaya Line connecting central Moscow with Vnukovo Airport, and the first section of the Troitskaya Line. The Big Circle Line (BCL), which stretches 70 kilometers, became the world's longest metro ring line and significantly reduced congestion in central Moscow.
The entire metro network now exceeds 920 kilometers of track in single-line measurement. New interchange hubs allow passengers to avoid the city center and save up to 20-30 minutes daily.
New Metro Lines and Future Development
Moscow continues to expand its rail infrastructure with several major projects currently under construction.
The Rublyovo-Arkhangelskaya Line will run for more than 27 kilometers, linking Moscow City with northwestern districts and the city of Krasnogorsk in the Moscow region.
The Biryulyovskaya Line will connect the former ZIL industrial zone with southern districts of Moscow and improve transport access for residents across eight districts.
Construction also continues on the second phase of the Troitskaya Line, which will extend nearly 17 kilometers from Novomoskovskaya Station to Troitsk and include six new stations.
Additional projects include the future Dostoyevskaya Station on the Circle Line, the extension of the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line to Golyanovo, and the Yuzhny Port Station on the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya Line.
Driverless Trains and Artificial Intelligence
Moscow has also become a leader in transport innovation. On January 16, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin launched the test operation of Russia's first driverless metro train.
The autonomous train is based on the Moskva-2024 model, which contains 97 percent domestically produced components. The latest Moskva-2026 trains feature wide 1.6-meter doors, USB and Type-C charging ports, advanced climate control systems, lower noise levels and improved energy efficiency.
More than 700 Moskva-2026 carriages are expected to enter service over the next two years.
Passengers can also hear AI-generated "neurovoice” announcements inside trains. The synthetic speech system already operates across the Sokolnicheskaya Line and parts of the Zamoskvoretskaya Line.
Precision, Safety and Smart Ticketing
The Moscow Metro remains one of the busiest metro systems in the world. During rush hours, trains on key lines arrive every 90 seconds, while timetable accuracy reaches 99.9 percent — one of the best indicators globally.
A unified dispatch center opened in 2019 now coordinates the entire rail system. Around 900 specialists monitor operations in real time, helping reduce incident response times by more than half.
The capital also leads the world in ticketing technology. Passengers can pay using Troika cards, bank cards, QR payments, smartphones, biometric identification and virtual transport cards.
Moscow became the first city in the world to introduce biometric fare payment across every metro station. The technology already works on the MCC, parts of the MCD network, Aeroexpress trains and river transport services.
Interesting Facts About the Moscow Metro
Today the Moscow Metro includes 306 stations and 16 lines across more than 920 kilometers of track, making it the largest metro system in Europe.
Forty-eight metro stations hold cultural heritage status, while stations such as Nagatinsky Zaton, Klenovy Boulevard and Michurinsky Prospekt rank among the world's most visually striking modern subway stations.
The Big Circle Line remains the longest metro ring line on the planet, while modern Moskva-2026 trains rank among the world's most technologically advanced subway carriages.
