When will the metro open in Krasnoyarsk and how much will it cost?

People are increasingly talking about the imminent opening of the metro in Krasnoyarsk. This happened at least three times in the history of the Siberian city. The construction of a metro in Krasnoyarsk was discussed back in the 60s of the last century. We studied, calculated and designed, but every time there were reasons why the project needed to be postponed or frozen.


Another attempt to build a second Siberian metro looks very promising and feasible, but, as often happens, everything can end at any moment.

Krasnoyarsk unfinished construction

In the mid-60s, the population of Krasnoyarsk exceeded 550 thousand people. This forced the city authorities to think about the development of urban infrastructure. Ground modes of transport could no longer cope with the increased flow of passengers. The inaccessibility of personal cars was also an important factor in the decision to begin research on methods and optimal ways to build the future metro. However, the final decision was made only in the 80s.

Subsequent economic problems and the collapse of the USSR did not allow the city authorities to begin construction of the first line, but the problem did not go away. Residents of the city still needed to travel to work and on business every day. The number of personal vehicles has also increased significantly, which has created a new eternal problem - traffic jams.

In 1993, people started talking about the metro again in Krasnoyarsk. Construction began in 95. But the process itself moved with varying degrees of success. Lack of funding, problems with land, endless revisions of the concept, lack of personnel and equipment - all this constantly delayed the commissioning of the first metro line.


It is worth noting here that neither the city nor the region has, and never has had, money for the construction of a metro. From the very beginning, the project was supposed to be financed from the union and later from the federal budget. And the longer they waited, the more expensive the project became. Inflation, you know, and land in the city center is becoming more expensive. By 2008, according to various estimates, over 4,8 billion rubles were allocated for the project. Over the years of construction, more than 3,5 thousand meters were passed underground, the Vysotnaya, Vokzalnaya and Ploshchad Revolyutsii stations were laid.

However, due to the financial crisis of 2008 and doubts about the efficiency of the Krasnoyarsk metro, the project was frozen. The constructed infrastructure was mothballed, and the “Department for the Construction of the Krasnoyarsk Metro” was liquidated.


Several years passed and the authorities returned to discussing this project again. The city's population has exceeded 1 million people and an unspoken rule has emerged that with such a number of residents, the metro is simply necessary. In 2013, we began to draw projects and plans and sort out the land. At the same time, preparations were underway for the 2019 Winter Universiade and there were even suggestions that the opening of the line would be timed to coincide with this event, but alas, the governor suspended the project until 2020. Even Putin spoke about the metro in Krasnoyarsk.

In 2019, the new governor set the project implementation deadline as 2023. The work actually began, but it was only of a local nature, there was no talk of any major construction. And so, already in 2023, the project completion date was pushed back to 2026. The construction of the first line of the Krasnoyarsk metro has been going on for 30 years.

Promising metro lines of Krasnoyarsk

The network should connect different outskirts of the city. At the moment, work is underway on the First Line, it should run from the Vysotnaya station and through the city center to the Yastynska Street station. The total length will be 15,1 km. It is important to say that not the entire line will be underground; in some sections the tracks will run on the ground.

The “second line” could be launched from north to south, connecting the “Solnechny” district, the city center and the right bank of Krasnoyarsk. To launch this line, it will be necessary to build a bridge across the Yenisei or an underground tunnel under the river. There is also a concept for a “Third Line”, which will run from the nearest suburb near the village of Drokino, and through the center will exit to the right bank of the Yenisei.

On the Internet you can find many “promising schemes” for the Krasnoyarsk metro. Some even draw ring lines, integration interchange hubs with railway transport. But the fact remains a fact. Until the First Line is built and launched, all plans and prospects are just the imagination of the authors of the schemes and city authorities.

Subway or metrotram?

Here we come to the most important question. What kind of rolling stock will there be in the Krasnoyarsk metro? Apparently, trams will run along the subway. According to experts, a minimum of 40 units of rolling stock are needed for normal operation of the line. Most likely, the city authorities will purchase tram 71-934 “Lev”, which is produced in Tver and St. Petersburg. To fully fill the rolling stock fleet, about 6,8 billion rubles are required. The procurement will take place in several stages.


Tram 71-934 “Lev” has a three-section base, that is, it consists of three cars. It can reach speeds of up to 75 km/h. Its length is 34,7 meters (this tram is called the longest Russian tram). Passenger capacity is estimated at 265 – 382 people. The carriages are equipped with video surveillance, climate control, Wi-Fi system, media panels and connectors for charging smartphones. The new tram has only recently begun to appear on city streets. Today it is used in Perm. Interestingly, they also wanted to use it in the work of the planned high-speed tram line or the city's surface metro.

Metrotram is not bad. Of course, the capacity of the tram is lower than that of the classic metro train, but for Krasnoyarsk this will be the best option. Metrotarm operates in Volgograd, Krivoy Rog (Ukraine) and even in Europe and the USA. Particularly notable are the urban light metro systems of Germany and Belgium, where they are often the basis of urban transport. In the USA, metrotrams operate in Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. This is normal practice for cities with relatively small budgets or if city officials want to save money. Trams are easier to maintain and maintain. They can be used without underground infrastructure and released onto city streets if necessary.

How much does the Krasnoyarsk metrotram cost?

89 billion rubles – this is exactly the figure the city authorities called. In 2022, they signed two contracts with Mosproekt-3 JSC. The first contract includes preparatory work and is estimated at 2,7 billion rubles. The “main contract,” that is, the construction and commissioning of the line costs 87,4 billion rubles.


During the initial design they asked for 65 billion rubles, which seemed very adequate. But later this amount increased significantly. In 2021, the governor requested 191 billion, after which the federal authorities asked to review the project and adjust the cost.

Conclusion

It seems that the history of the still unfinished Krasnoyarsk metro has had everything. Here you will find promising projects, beautiful pictures, corruption scandals, and constant postponements of project deadlines. But at the very least things are going well; the metro tram is still being built. If this continues, it is possible that already in 2026 Krasnoyarsk residents and guests of this city will be able to use this type of transport on a daily basis.