The Minsk Metro (Belarusian: Мінскі метрапалітэн; Russian: Минский метрополитен) is a rapid transit system that serves Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Opened 1984 June 29,[2] it presently consists of 3 lines[1] and 33 stations,[1] totaling 40.8 kilometres (25.4 mi).[1] In 2013, the system carried 328.3 million passengers,[3] which averages to a daily ridership of approximately 899,450. In 2023, the system carried 233.9 million passengers,[4] which averages to a daily ridership of approximately 640,800.
History
During the 1950s–1970s the population of the city grew to over a million and designs for a rapid transit system were initially proposed during the late 1960s. Construction began on 3 May 1977, and the system was opened to the public on 30 June 1984, becoming the ninth metro system in the Soviet Union.[2] The original eight station section has since expanded into a three-line 33 station network with a total of 40.8 kilometres (25.4 mi) of route.[1]
Despite the dissolution of the Soviet Union the construction of the Minsk metro continued uninterrupted throughout the 1990s (as opposed to other ex-Soviet Metros like those of Yerevan and Samara, which were halted due to a complete lack of funding). Some experts attribute it to the slow reform of the Soviet planned economy in Belarus, which turned out to be beneficial for metro expansion. For example, the final phase of the Aŭtazavodskaja Line (Avtazavodskaya Line), originally planned for 2006, was opened in late 2005, and similarly the northern extension of the Maskoŭskaja Line (Moskovskaya Line), originally scheduled for 2008, opened on 7 November 2007.[5] In November 2012 three new stations opened on the southern end of the Maskoŭskaja line (Instytut Kuĺtury - Piatroŭščyna) and in June 2014 the line was expanded in the south part with 1 more new station (Piatroŭščyna - Malinaŭka).
Construction of the 1st phase of the new Line 3 (Zielienalužskaja Line) started in 2014 which consisted of 4 new stations running from Jubiliejnaja Plošča to Kavaĺskaja slabada station. The 1st phase opened on 6 November 2020. The 2nd phase is being constructed since 2018 with an estimated opening in 2023 which contains the extension from Kavaĺskaja slabada to Slucki Hasciniec stations (3 new stations) with 1 depot being built in the new south terminal station of the line.
The city is located on an almost level surface and on very dry soils. As a result, although all of the Minsk Metro stations are under the surface, there are no deep-level stations that are found in most of the ex-Soviet cities.[7] Out of the current 33 stations[7] 19 are pillar-spans and 10 are of vaulted type. Like most of the Soviet metro systems, all of the stations are vividly decorated. Some (notably, Niamiha) exhibit Belarusian national motifs, while others focus on more Soviet socialist themes, although recent years have seen more priority on high-tech decorations.
Signs and announcements in the metro system are in Belarusian and English.[8]
Expansion plans
A map of the future system of Minsk Metro with all the proposed and planned extensions
Construction of a third line, the Zielienalužskaja (Zelenaluzhskaya) line (shown in green), began in 2014. When fully completed, this line will run from the south to the northeast of the city via the centre, creating two new transfer points with the existing lines.
The first stage of the line was opened on 7 November 2020 running from Jubiliejnaja Plošča to Kavaĺskaja slabada station.[9] This follows a northern contour parallel to Maskoŭskaja (Moskovskaya) which has since relieved the extensive congestion in the city area with 2 interchange stations at Vakzaĺnaja (Plošča Lienina station of Line 1) and Jubiliejnaja Plošča station (Frunzienskaja station of Line 2).
As of November 2020, the Zielienalužskaja line consists of four stations. While Line 3 is planned to be extended north to the residential area of Zialiony Luh, a southern extension to Slucki Hasciniec with 3 new stations and 1 depot of Line 3 is under construction (estimated opening in 2023).[10]
A planned Fourth (Circle) line is expected to connect south and north parts of the city which are densely populated. This line is planned to have a length of 37 kilometres with 1 new depot serving the line and 17 new stations of which 6 stations are going to be interchange stations. Specifically, Line 4 will interchange at Michalova and Akademija navuk stations of Line 1, Traktarny zavod and Puškinskaja stations of Line 2 and future Plošča Banhalor and Aerodromnaja stations of Line 3.
Two extensions of Line 1 and two of Line 2 (4 in total) with 2 new stations for Line 1 and 2 respectively were mentioned but never went into additional consideration as the construction of Line 3 and the plans for Line 4 keep their priority low. These expansions were specifically mentioned as:
Line 1:
Malinaŭka – Ščomyslica and
Uručča – Smalienskaja
Line 2:
Kamiennaja Horka – Čyrvony Bor and
Mahilioŭskaja – Šabany
The official map with all the planned extensions of Minsk Metro not including the Malinauka-Shemislicha extension
On 30 May 1999, a sudden thunderstorm caused a large crowd, from a nearby rock concert, to seek shelter at the Niamiha station. The limited size of the underpass leading into the ticket hall and the wet pavement caused a human crush. Fifty-three people died.
^ abcdefghijklmnopМетро сегодня [Metro today]. Государственное предприятие "Минский Метрополитен" [State Enterprise "Minsk Metro"] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
^ abcdefИстория развития метрополитена [History of the metro]. Государственное предприятие "Минский Метрополитен" [State Enterprise "Minsk Metro"] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
^Основные технико-эксплуатационные характеристики метрополитенов за 2013 год [Main technical and operational specifications for subways for year 2013] (PDF) (in Russian). Международная Ассоциация "Метро" [International Association of Metros]. 2013. p. 3. Archived(PDF) from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2014 – via asmetro.ru.
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