Wednesday 1 March 2023

Putin calls Big Circle Line of Moscow metro 'much-needed project for the city'

Putin calls Big Circle Line of Moscow metro 'much-needed project for the city'

Putin calls Big Circle Line of Moscow metro 'much-needed project for the city'




©Mikhail Metzel/POOL/TASS






Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Big Circle Line of the Moscow metro "a much-needed project for the city."


Putin took part in the opening ceremony of the Moscow metro's Big Circle (Bolshaya Koltsevaya) Line via video link on Wednesday.







The event was attended by Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and Moscow Metro workers who worked on the line's construction.


The head of state congratulated the residents of Moscow and the region on this event. He recalled that plans to create this metro loop had been around since Soviet days, but for a long time they remained on paper due to various reasons.


"Today, this large-scale and much-needed project for the city, especially today, has been implemented thanks to the persistent work of the city government headed by Sergey Semenovich Sobyanin," the head of state said.


Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the construction of the Big Circle Line of the capital's metro "a mammoth project."


"Today is a big day for Moscow, [it is] the opening of the Big Circle Line of the Moscow metro. Titanic work has been done, [this is] a mammoth project, [an example of] the most effective work by the city of Moscow and the Moscow government. A brilliant result," Peskov said.


"The underground ring will be the largest in the world," he added.


The Kremlin press service said earlier the last nine stations of the line will be launched during the event.








The Big Circle Line project has grown to be Russia's biggest and one of the world's largest subway construction projects in recent decades. According to the press service, the Big Circle Line will serve 34 districts in Moscow with a population of 3.3 mln people and considerably reduce the burden on other subway lines.



Putin, Sobyanin open Big Circle Line of Moscow subway



Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off train service on the Big Circle Line of the Moscow subway via a video link on Wednesday.


©Sergei Bobylev/POOL/TASS


The ceremony was attended in person by Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. The mayor asked Putin to sign a schematic of the subway that now includes the new line. The president said, "With pleasure," before signing and showing the result to the camera.


Sobyanin then asked the president for permission to put the line into operation.


"What do you think the answer will be?" Putin said with a smile, and then commanded, "Permission given. God speed!"


Sobyanin then repeated the command to workers.



New stations



The last nine stations were put in operation to complete the new circle line. They are Maryina Roshcha, Rizhskaya, Sokolniki, Tekstilshchiki, Pechatniki, Nagatinsky Zaton, Klenovy Boulevard, Kashirskaya and Varshavskaya. The Big Circle Line will improve transportation for 34 districts in Moscow with a population of 3.3 mln people and considerably reduce the burden on other subway lines.




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