The metro of Novosibirsk and its longest metro bridge

Novosibirsk is the third city in Russia by population and at the scale of the total area it is ranked as the 13th. It was founded in 1893 as “the capital of Siberia”. Novosibirsk’s metro system will have 5 lines in the future.

Панорама Новосибирск

Novosibirsk. Source: gelio-nsk.livejournal.com


Background information:
Population: 1.7 million
Passenger traffic: 250-300 thousand passengers per day
Total length: 16 km
Number of stations: 13
Number of lines: 2
Started operation: 7 January 1986


Novosibirsk’s public transportation

This is a large cultural, industrial and scientific center, where Trans-Siberian Railway passes thought. The main railway station is one of the largest in Russia. The city of Novosibirsk has a well-developed transport infrastructure and its airport is large and often used for connecting flights. The public transportation includes bus, tram, trolleybus and metro system. Despite the fact, that.


The metro traffic is evaluated as 15% of total transportations and surpasses 250-300 thousand passengers per day.


Novosibirsk metro features

Most of the Novosibirsk metro stations are shallow ones. The tunneling was performed with TBM in the densely populated areas. All the stations were constructed with cut-and-cover method. The favourable geotechnical conditions made the construction of the shallow stations possible. There are the column type stations and the vault type stations with 2 entrances usually connected to the underground passages as it was required by regulations.

The main feature of the Novosibirsk metro is the longest metro bridge in Russia (also metro bridges are parts of the systems in Moscow, Kazan, Omsk, one is currently under construction in Nizhny Novgorod).

Строительство метромоста в Новосибирске

Construction of the metro in Novosibirsk. Source: gelio-nsk.livejournal.com

The bridge was only one of the options considered for constructions, also the underground tunnel and construction of the mole were discussed.


The operation hours of the Novosibirsk metro: 05:45 – 00:00


History of construction

The construction was approved by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of March 17, 1975. Two routes were developed. The first one was very similar to the existing route, while the second one could connect all the important transport hubs of the city, including the Railway station. Unfortunately, more extensive version was not approved due to the prohibitive cost of the construction.


The working group on metro development within the institute Novosibgrazhdanproekt worked at the scheme of the Novosibirsk’s public transportation development until year 2000. According to this document, the metro system had to include 3 lines with the total length of 52 km and 36 stations in total: the Leninskaya line (18.6 km), the Kirovskaya line (24.4) and the Dzershinskaya line (10.8). Also the construction of the interchange transport hubs was planned.


Генеральная схема метро Новосибирска

One of the first metro development schemes. Source: gelio-nsk.livejournal.com

After the feasibility study was approved, the project design of the first section was adopted on December 12, 1978. The section had 9 stations, 8 of them were constructed. The project of the station Sporivnaya was not implemented. On May 12, 1979, the first pile was footed at the location place of the future station Oktyabr’skaya. In the summer, the construction of the section between Oktyabr’skaya and Ploshad’ Lenina began with cut-and-cover method.

The first phase of the construction

It took 6.5 years to complete a first part of the construction phase work –  8. 5 km long section, which included 5 stations. The metro system was put into operation on January 7, 1986.

The second section between the stations Sibirskaya and Ploschad’ Garina-Mikhaylovskogo at Dzerzhinskaya line was successfully commissioned one year later. It started operating on 31th of December, 1987.  In July, 1991, the section at the left bank of the River Ob was put into operation from the station Studencheskaya to Ploschad’ Marksa. It was 1.14 km long. Two more stations were added next year as well as the depot.

Ельцин в Новосибирском метро

First President of the Russian Federation at the opening of the station Ploschad Lenina. Source: gelio-nsk.livejournal.com

The second phase of construction

In 1990, the metro construction workers started the second phase, included stations Frunzenskaya, Berezovaya Roscha and Gusinobrodskaya. In 1993, the first section 2.25 km long was planned to be completed from Sibirskaya to Berezovaya Roscha. Those plans were not implemented.

Only 12 years later the station Berezovaya Roscha started operating, becoming the 12th station of the Novosibirsk metro. The 13th and so far the last station was opened in February, 2011. It was Zolotaya Niva.

Метромост в Новосибирске

Novosibirsk metro bridge. Source: gelio-nsk.livejournal.com

The longest metro bridge in the world

The project design of the bridge across the Ob River was developed by leading design institutions of the country – Lengipromost and Novosibmetroproekt.  In August 1980, the construction started. The total length of the structure is 2,145 meters. The length of the span is 896 meters. It is a continuous steel beam on reinforced concrete bridge pillars. The bridge was completed on 7 January 1986. The Ob River is ranked the 7th in the list of the longest rivers in the world and it has the absolute longest estuary.

The rolling stock

The metro system of Novosibirsk uses Soviet made carriages. Each train has 4 carriages, in perspective there will be five.  The maintenance of the rolling stock is performed in depot Eltsovskoye.


The trains pass every 3-5 minutes during the day, and every 13 minutes after 11 pm.


Станция Гагаринская в Новосибирске

Metro station Gagrinskaya. Source: gelio-nsk.livejournal.com

The Leninskaya line

  • Zaeltsovskaya, Gagarinskaya stations were opened on April 2, 1992.
  • Krasny Prospekt, Ploschad’ Lenina, Oktyabr’skaya, Rechnoy Vokzal, Studencheskaya were opened on December 28, 1985
  • Ploschad Marksa was opened on July 28, 1991
Метро Золотая Нива в Новосибирске

Station Zolotaya Niva. Source: gelio-nsk.livejournal.com

The Dzerzhinskaya line

The stations Ploschad Garina-Mokhaylovskogo and Sibirskaya were opened on December 31, 1987 Station Marshala Pokryshkina was opened on December 28, 2000, names so after triple hero do the Soviet Union, the Air Marshal.

The station Beresovaya Roscha is planned as the interchange station with the designed Prvomayskaya line. It was opened on 25th of June, 2005. The station Zolotaya Niva was opened on February 9, 2011.

Novosibirsk metro scheme

Novosibirsk metro scheme

The development plan

According to the plan developed in 1981, the metro of the “capital of Siberia” has to include 5 lines with the total length of 91.4 km.

Проект двух станционных комплексов «Гусинобродская» и «Молодежная» с электродепо «Волочаевское»

The project design for the stations Gusinobrodskaya, the extension of the Dzerzhinskaya line. Source: nsk-metro.ru

In the future, the Leninskaya line will be extended to 20.4 km and will include then 15 stations instead of current 8. The Dzerzhinskaya line will include 8 instead of 5 and will be 14.7 lm long.

Three more lines will be designed:

  • The Kirovskaya line – 21.1. km with 8 stations,
  • The Pervomayskaya line – 21.1 km with 12 stations,
  • The Octyabr’skaya line – 10 km with 10 stations.

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