A new 12-kilometer tunnel is being planned to run beneath central Moscow for MCD-5. The route starts underground in the Rizhskaya district and emerges near the Paveletsky station area, aiming to streamline cross-city rail connections while preserving the surface fabric of the city. The project is at the concept and preliminary design stage, with authorities weighing the technical and financial feasibility before any final approvals are granted.
Before a final construction decision can be made, extensive assessments will unfold. Maxim Liksutov, Moscow’s deputy mayor, indicated in an interview that time is needed to complete a comprehensive preliminary design and evaluate the fundamental possibility of routing a highway-like rail corridor underground. This work is being carried out by Russian Railways in collaboration with the Moscow city government’s design institutes.
It is described as a unique undertaking, one that may set new benchmarks in urban rail engineering. Regulators and designers have established a set of stringent criteria to govern the project. These rules are intended to ensure that the tunnel can pass through the central district without disrupting existing infrastructure or compromising nearby buildings. The goal is to create an underground artery that integrates smoothly with the city’s current transit network rather than existing as a standalone tunnel.
Key considerations include the construction logic, total cost, operational efficiency, and the viability of building in a densely built urban core. The design team must determine how the tunnel would connect with already operational metro stations, since genuine value is tied to seamless station integration. If integration is not feasible, the rationale for proceeding with the tunnel weakens considerably. In addition, planners must estimate long-term maintenance needs, potential energy requirements, and the impact on surrounding utilities and services.
Only after these cost and feasibility studies are completed can the project team take the next step of presenting a detailed proposal to the Moscow government, accompanied by a formal assessment from Russian Railways. The absence of a tunnel would significantly affect the plan, potentially preventing the Yaroslavl and Paveletsky lines from forming a direct, continuous corridor. In such a scenario, the focus would shift to accelerating traffic on each rail segment and upgrading rolling stock, rather than pursuing a through tunnel concept. That is the practical alternative currently under discussion.
The MCD-5 project is described as the Yaroslavsko-Paveletsky diameter, the fifth line of Moscow’s Central Diameters. It is envisioned to connect northern and southern Moscow rail traffic, linking key suburban directions such as Yaroslavl and Paveletsky, and to serve communities along the corridor. The ambition is to unify the rail system to improve travel times and reduce congestion in the urban core, aligning with broader urban transport goals and regional mobility needs. As the planning advances, municipal authorities and rail operators will continue to evaluate routes, station interfaces, and the broader effect on regional connectivity.
Notes for readers may include that the project, if authorized, would represent a substantial milestone in Moscow’s rail modernization program and might influence similar urban tunnel concepts in other metropolitan areas. The initiative is being tracked by city planners and railway officials who emphasize a cautious, data-driven approach to ensure that any decision aligns with long-term transportation objectives and budgetary realities.
Photo credit: Depositphotos
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