View From Within: Long-distance Prospects

Train Station Sights

Has it ever occurred to anyone to spend a Sunday taking a tour of Kievsky train station instead of Red Square? Well, Kievsky is actually an architectural and historic monument as well, just like many other Moscow train stations. But unlike the main square of the capital the train stations are not as visible to sightseers. Those of them that are not hidden behind modern retail monsters are hard to get to on foot because of heavy traffic.

Basically, that is one of the main problems of all Moscow’s train stations – their premises have become too small for them. Given the ever-increasing volumes of construction in the Moscow Region, the growing number of tourists, businessmen, migrant workers and other visitors, as well as the growing volume of goods being transported, train stations require major reconstruction and expansion. The problem is that there is no place for them to expand.

In line with the documents allocating a land plot for Savyolovsky the area around the station is municipally owned, and the city is free to use it at its own discretion. For the most part, those areas are used for squares in front of train stations, but they are extremely attractive for investors.

The square in front of Kursky train station is now occupied by a retail center and a parking lot; construction work is being carried out near Kievsky, while Stroiinkom-K has already designed a project for the Tverskaya Zastava Square near Belorussky where it will develop a 5-storied underground complex with a total area of 107,000sqm.

The company is considering increasing the total space of the future mall by another 17,000sqm, says Rumen Kalchev, strategic development and market director at Stroiinkom-K. Three lower stories will be occupied by a parking area with approximately 1,400 car spaces. Two upper stories – 31,000sqm – will be used as a retail area. The project is to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The landmark square between three train stations in the north-east of the city center has, in fact, ceased to exist, converted into a bustling transport route. The only train station not yet hidden away from view is Paveletsky.

But train stations and the territories adjacent to them should be attractive not only for investors. “[A train station] is a place where large numbers of people arrive and depart and they should not feel any discomfort,” says Aleksandr Liyasov, chief engineer of Moscow Railways. “Take, for instance, the Leningradsky station. It is impossible to get there because of permanent traffic jams. What is needed is an open square for a passenger to be able to get to the train from his car unimpeded.”

In mid-January 2005 media reports emerged about plans to develop a 3-level parking lot on the territory of the Yaroslavsky and Kazansky train stations. “This is being considered jointly by City Hall and the Moscow Railways,” says Aleksandr Liyasov. “Building such complexes has prospects. And there are examples to prove it. For example, the Tokyo train station is a facility combining various transport routes – metro, trains, automobiles – with retail areas.”

In principle, we also have such facilities, Liyasov adds. The main problem, however, is that Moscow train stations were built to meet the needs of a different age, and the engineers and architects designed them proceeding from the passenger volumes of that time. “Moscow train stations have served their purpose, but times are changing,” says Liyasov.

Moscow Railways’ programs for the reconstruction of train stations in 2004-2005 will take into consideration modern requirements and an understanding of passenger comfort, as well as reveal the architectural and historic value of the city’s stations, many of which were built by prominent architects and engineers.

Gates to the North and West

The Yaroslavsky train station – originally called Severny (Northern) – was built in 1862. At first it linked the city to Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad), and later a link to Arkhangelsk was built. Today, the station connects Moscow to Vorkuta, Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, etc.

The magnificent building of the station emerged in 1902-1904, designed by Fyodor Shekhtel, know for his modernist edifices. Apart from the brick and stucco used in the construction and decorations, metal, stones, glazed tiles and majolica were used. In the middle of the 20th century the station was expanded. The second floor was built, and electric lighting.

Reconstruction work carried out from 1994 to 2004 and timed for the 100th anniversary of the station revealed many of the secrets that Yaroslavsky had been hiding. It transpired that the train schedule board had been concealing a wide door to a secret room. Walls with bricked-up doorways were discovered in a gallery leading from the lobby to the ticket offices.

The most interesting find was a waiting room for first class passengers that earlier housed an exhibition of paintings of northern Russia by the famous artist Korovin. After the 1917 revolution the paintings were taken to the Tretyakov Gallery, and the waiting room was bricked up as there were no longer any first class passengers in the country.

Almost 90 years later the historic appearance of the waiting room was restored. Also, the long-distance train ticket offices were moved, the waiting rooms were expanded by 1,800sqm, the number of commuter train ticket offices and recreation areas were also increased. A total of nearly 250 million rubles was spent on the reconstruction work.

On Feb. 15, 2004 the Sputnik express train began running between Moscow and the town of Mytishchi along one of the busiest sections of the Moscow railway, covering the distance in only 20 minutes. The profitability of the express train service exceeds 25%. Over the past year over 4.7 million passengers traveled on the Sputnik train - nearly half the number of passengers who use such express trains.

The gate to the east was the description given to the Kazansky train station by the renowned architect and academic Aleksei Shchusev. Shchusev’s design won the 1911 tender after it was decided to rebuild the outdated Ryazansky station. Over the main entrance Shchusev erected an 87-meter tower – a replica of the Syuubmeki tower in the Kazan Kremlin. In those days Kazan was the final destination of the Russian eastern railway.

Alexander Benua, Boris Kustodiev and other renowned artists took part in the decoration of the station. In 1985 construction of an annex to the station began. The front of the new building was built in compliance with Shchusev’s designs. Thus, the modernization did no harm to the station’s appearance, while its capacity doubled.

Today Kazansky is Russia’s biggest train station. Last year its waiting rooms and platforms underwent renovation, but the work has still not been completed. Ahead of the Railway Workers’ Day the station plans to launch an express train service linking Moscow to Lyubertsy and Rameskoye. Meanwhile, Moscow Railways is carrying out reconstruction of the platform that will be used for the express service, with plans to expand the roof over that area of the platform. One more check-point will also be built at the station.

A Quay for Trains

A quay – this is exactly what the world ‘d?barcad?re’ means in French. Another meaning of the Russian word ‘debarkader’ is a railway platform with a canopy. Such a canopy has sheltered the Kievsky train station from rain and snow since 1917.

Architect Ivan Rerberg – whose most famous project is the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts – designed Kievsky as a reduced replica of the Rome Pantheon, with a dome and lighting that refracted sunrays at an angle ensuring the most effective illumination. The grandiose project of constructing the canopy over part of the rail tracks and platforms of 300 meters was designed by Viktor Shukhov, famous for his design of the radio and TV tower in Shabolovka Street.

At the beginning of this century it was discovered that the roofing was not safe for passengers as only four metal arches out of 31 were in relatively good condition. Moscow Railways decided to rebuild, and a sum of 677 million rubles was spent on reconstruction. The roofing was re-built and new canopies were built over the platforms, in accordance with Shukhov’s drawings. All the utility lines were also changed.

“Having built such a platform area we had to renovate the entire station,” says Aleksandr Liyasov. “In 2004 most platforms were repaired, a terminal for airport passengers was built.” That required an additional 127 million and 50 million rubles respectively. In early 2005 a church of the icon of Kievo-Pechorskaya Mother of God was opened at Kievsky. The church occupies one of the wings of the building. According to historic documents, in his time Rerberg himself planned to build a chapel there. In 2005 one more platform, the inner halls and canopies are to be renovated.

When renovating the station one more goal was pursued – an express train service from Moscow to Vnukovo airport and the building of a terminal. The terminal has already been built and the express link to Vnukovo opened; this year, Liyasov says, passengers will be able to arrive directly inside the airport, where an underground station will be built.

Meanwhile, another express train link has been successfully operating in Moscow since 2002. Over the past year the Paveletsky train service carried over 2.6 million passengers to Domodedovo airport. The profitability of the service has reached 127%. With passenger flow growing Moscow Railways is considering expanding the terminal this year.

Museum of Rarities

An open-air railway museum was opened on the territory of the Rizhsky train station in Moscow last year. The museum regularly changes some of the exhibits on display. With that in mind, in January Moscow Railways signed an agreement with the central museum in St. Petersburg on leasing rare models of trains.

Also, a search for rare models was launched. Steam engines are being restored not only for the sake of exhibiting them at the transport museum, but also to launch trips on rare trains across the Moscow Region. “Each year one of these trains departs from a Moscow train station on Victory Day, but we want it to operate permanently,” adds Aleksandr Liyasov.

The Rizhsky train station, designed by the prominent St. Petersburg architect Sergei Brzhozovsky, was built at the end of the 19th century. Its beautiful stonework edifice, built in a Russian style, features three towers connected with covered passages. In 2004 the station underwent renovation.

In the past City Hall repeatedly said that the city did not need Rizhsky. The authorities planned to transfer Rizhsky’s routes to other stations, and to use the vacated area for new construction. “International trains arrive at Rizhsky; it has a very large cargo container station,” says Aleksandr Liyasov. “Moving trains from Rizhsky is impossible, there are no stations capable, except Kursky; but Kursky fails to handle its existing load, as it is. On the contrary, it is quite likely that we will move more trains to Rizhsky.”

Nonetheless, the city officials again raised the issue of relocating Rizhsky, and also Savyolovsky. The initiative was put forward by Moscow’s chief architect Aleksandr Kuzmin at a news conference in February. “Today Rizhsky receives two or three trains per day, while they could arrive at any other train station, for example, Leningradsky,” Kuzmin said.

He suggested that freight trains traveling through Rizhsky could instead take the Small Ring Road of the Moscow railway, while the station building could be used as an art gallery. Admittedly, the chief architect emphasized that the idea of relocating Savyolovsky and Rizhsky stations was his personal proposal and had not been included in the city’s general plan. “Those are just my personal proposals. They have not yet received the backing of the city government,” he said. The areas vacated after relocation could be used for the development of about 1 million square meters of residential space, he said.

Waiting for Changes

In 1971 the historic edifice of the Kursky train station with its magnificent white columns, designed in 1896 by the architect Orlov, was swallowed up by a concrete installation with stained-glass windows and a folded metal roof. Later still a shopping mall was built right in front of the station.

Today Kursky is not the most beautiful train station in Moscow, but it is the only transit station in the city. It is possible to traverse the whole of Moscow from it, says Aleksandr Liyasov. That station has prospects.

For the time being, though, its future remains undecided. There exist ambitious plans to expand the station by building a 2- or 4-storied complex over the passenger section. As a result of the numerous construction projects carried out in the area the station was moved downwards, and this has to be changed. “We must lift it, open additional entrances,” notes Aleksandr Liyasov. “Perhaps, then its appearance will change completely.” He does not rule out that in 2005 Moscow Railways will start examining plans for the reconstruction of Kursky.

2004 saw Kursky’s waiting rooms, passenger platforms and roof repaired, at a cost of approximately 30 million rubles.

Today the only place one can get to from Kursky via its pedestrian subways is the Kurskaya metro station. The Atrium shopping mall has no direct link to the train station; to get there one has to cross the street at a pedestrian crossing. Although Kursky’s passenger flow is likely to boost attendance at Atrium, the Moscow Department for Investment Construction Company (DIPS) – which together with Ingeokom developed Atrium – does not plan to build any underground corridors to link the mall to the station.

“We believe it would be a mistake to link a rather prestigious retail center directly to the train station,” says Tatiana Razumova, a spokesperson for DIPS. “The Kursky train station has one of the largest and mixed passenger flows while Atrium today is highly popular with Moscow residents. It is home to many famous and expensive brand shops, and not everyone arriving in the city wants to visit them. But Atrium also has a cinema complex, cafes, restaurants, and several retail chain outlets, so nothing prevents arrivals from having a good time in the shopping center.”

Preparing for Victory Day

Moscow Railways plans to complete reconstruction of Moscow’s Belorussky train station by the 60th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War (WWII). Waiting halls, passenger platforms and roofing will undergo renovation. On May 9 a Brest-bound train with war veterans on board will depart from the station.

Built in 1871, the station was originally called Smolensky; in November 1871 it was renamed as Brestsky, and in May 1912 Aleksandrovsky. After the Aleksandrovskaya and Moskovsko-Baltiiskaya railways were merged to form the Moskovsko-Belorussko-Baltiisaya railway its name was changed to Belorussko-Baltiisky. It was not until a 1936 reorganization that the name of the station became Belorussky.

Stroiinkom-K’s project for the development of a multi-level underground complex at Tverskaya Zastava Square envisions a link from the shopping mall to both the nearby metro stations and the train station by a network of subways. “We are doing that deliberately,” says Rumen Kalchev. “We do not want to restrict the flow of potential buyers. Besides, by passing through the retail areas it will be possible to get to the other side of Tverskaya Square. You could say that our complex will be like a large underpass.”

The Savyolovsky train station will also undergo reconstruction this year in connection with the launch of the express train service for Sheremetievo airport passengers to Lobnya. Express trains have been in operation since November. Passenger flows will be separated at Savyolovsky. Those who are traveling by commuter trains will not mix with passengers traveling to Lobnya and from there on to Sheremetievo by bus. Savyolovsky was last renovated quite recently – in 2003.

Yet Another Ring

With Moscow and the Moscow Region expanding, the city’s train stations will have to undergo further reconstruction and redevelopment in the near future. But… there is no space left to expand them. Of course, such issues must, and can only be, decided by Moscow Railways together with City Hall. An example of their cooperation is the joint work on organizing a passenger service along the Small Ring Road of the Moscow Railway.

The first section links Presnya to Kolomenskaya with the stations City, Kutuzovskaya, and Krasnokaluzhsky Most between them. Kolomenskaya is the exit to Paveletsky train station, which means it will be possible to travel across the city by using that route. There are also plans to electrify that line. The design work for the system is to be completed in the near future. Presnya station will also have to undergo reconstruction at some point in the future.

“In the future we plan to build a network that will include the Small Ring, thus making it possible to link Sheremetievo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports,” says Aleksandr Liyasov. “All those trains will go through Moscow-City. Domodedovo has already launched its express train service, and construction of a train station serving Vnukovo is to be completed this year; a project for the construction of a rail link to Sheremetievo has still to be endorsed.”

The costs and sources of financing are unclear though. Still, the project is expected to be profitable. For many years commuter trains in Moscow were running at a loss, but express trains have proved that things can be different. The new projects launched by Moscow Railways have proved profitable. Express train services bring considerable revenues, and that’s a fact.

The future of Moscow’s train stations lies in large transport complexes – like they are developing around the globe. For example, Seoul train station is an enormous underground city. Someone going there by metro has no need to go up to street level in order to buy food, have a haircut or simply have a rest. Perhaps, one day in Moscow a decision will be made to link the Kursky train station to the neighboring shopping mall.