5 facts about the Nizhny Novgorod Metro
The subway system of this millionaire city is the third in terms of opening date and line length after Moscow and St. Petersburg. What makes it surprising?
1. There is only one station in the historic center
Gorkovskaya station
The subway was opened in 1985. There are a total of 15 stations on two lines with a total length of just over 20 kilometers. What is interesting is, in the city center, there is only one station, ‘Gorkovskaya’, which was opened only in 2012.
And the main routes of the Nizhny Novgorod Metro connect the railway station with the industrial and residential areas.
2. One line has left-hand traffic, the other has right-hand traffic
Moskovskaya station
One of the peculiarities is that the M1 line has the usual right-hand traffic, while the M2 line has left-hand traffic. They are connected by ‘Moskovskaya’ station with a cross-platform transfer.
The reason why the train goes on the left side is because there is no reversible dead end on the M2. So, the train doesn't turn around, it just reverses back in the opposite direction.
3. First in Russia to equip ALL turnstiles for bank card payments
Strelka metro station.
Although the first subway turnstiles with which you could pay with bank cards appeared in Moscow, it was in Nizhny Novgorod that this possibility was introduced at all stations the fastest. This happened in 2017. You can pay in any way you like: with a bank card, a smartphone, a bracelet or city pass.
4. Connects the sides separated by the Oka River
The subway bridge over the Oka River is over 1.2 kilometers long and connects the Upper (historical) and Zarechnaya parts of the city. It was opened in 2012 between ‘Gorkovskaya’ and ‘Moskovskaya’ stations. Before that, the entire subway was only in the Zarechnaya part of the city and this interchange has increased passenger traffic several times, because now, you can go straight to the center from the station.
5. Only one above-ground station
Burevestnik station
The Nizhny Novgorod subway system is shallow (the deepest station – ‘Gorkovskaya’ – has a depth of just 20 meters). However, only one subway station is completely above ground – it is ‘Burevestnik’. It is built on the site of a former railway station and also facilitates a nearby factory – the Nizhny Novgorod Machine-Building Plant.
