Subway stations may close for a short period of time for emergencies, for minor repairs or to shut down traffic during public holidays.
Accidents
Metro accidents often occur due to non-compliance with safety rules and rules of use. This is especially true of behavior on the escalator.
In 2002, a tragedy occurred at the Kyiv (ring) station: at the exit from the escalator, an elderly woman damaged the teeth that control the steps with a bag on wheels. The bent comb of the lift tightened the clothes of two passengers who were following. Later, their feet were amputated. The metro was closed for several hours.
In July 2017, the Krasnopresnenskaya metro station was closed for several hours due to the fact that the escalator tightened the leg of a three-year-old girl. Traffic was stopped for first aid and aftermath.
Accidents
Accidents are usually caused by equipment wear or misuse. In some cases, not stations are closed, but entire subway lines.
In 1982 at the Aviamotornaya station as a result of an escalator breakdowna tragedy occurred that claimed the lives of 8 passengers, another 30 people were injured of varying severity. The station was closed for several hours.
In 2014, after the disaster at the crossing, which claimed the lives of 24 people, the closure of the Slavyansky Bulvar and Park Pobedy metro stations lasted several days. The cause of the accident was improper operation of the pointer mechanism: the pointer was fixed with wire.
Security threat
The metro station may be closed for a short time if a security threat to passengers and operating personnel of the metro is identified, as well as to eliminate the consequences of a terrorist attack.
In 2010, after the terrorist attacks at the Park Kultury and Lubyanka stations, the closure of metro stations in Moscow between Sportivnaya and Komsomolskaya continued for several hours.
After the terrorist attack in the St. Petersburg metro in 2017, all stations of the city metro were closed until the end of the day.
Repair
Subway stations are regularly closed due to renovations. As a rule, two or three days are enough to carry out the necessary work.
This year, Pervomayskaya, Fili and Pionerskaya stations were closed for a short time.
Events
Separate metro stations located in the central part of the city are closed for holidays, processions and parade rehearsals.
In Moscow, metro stations Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya, Ploshchad Revolutsii and Lubyanka are regularly closed. For example, on Victory Day, on the aboveplatforms, only a transfer was possible, the movement of the trains was stopped.
Permanent closure
Sometimes stations are closed for long periods, up to several months. This is due to the need for serious reparation and restoration work.
Major overhaul
The main reason for the closure of metro stations in Moscow for a long time.
The overhaul is being carried out in stages to avoid causing inconvenience to passengers and additional costs. It should be borne in mind that when the metro is closed for a long time, the city authorities provide an additional turnover of surface transport, depending on the station's traffic. Additional buses, trolleybuses, trams, fixed-route taxis are used to transport passenger traffic, and special flights are created.
In most cases, metro stations continue to operate, while maintaining partial functionality. For example, when replacing one of the escalators or repairing the ground lobby, one of the entrances is closed, but not the entire station.
Escalator modernization
Congestion and "traffic jams" at the escalators during rush hour are familiar to any metro passenger: a crowd of people on the way to the lift, closer to the entrance people move very slowly. This situation is due to the insufficient capacity of the old-style escalators.
The new type of escalators can withstand the same load, but take up less space in width. In fact, three old lifts can be replaced with four new ones at once, which allowslet through a third more people and significantly reduce the crowd on the way.
When you need to increase the capacity, it is impossible to upgrade the lifting machines one at a time, you have to change everything at once. If the platforms have only one exit and there is no transition to another branch, the station has to be completely closed.
Replacing escalators is a rather lengthy process that, in addition to installing new equipment, requires replacing concrete floors and electrical wiring.
Renovation of ground lobby
The above-ground metro station lobby is made of less durable materials than the underground one. Do not forget about the difference in temperature and humidity, depending on the time of year. All of these factors affect wear.
Renovation of the ground lobby is not a quick and laborious business. In any case, the exit from the metro is blocked for the duration of the work. If the station has only one exit, and there is no transition from another station, it is forced to close completely.
Renovation of the underground lobby
Each station of the Moscow metro has its own unique recognizable style. However, in the case of renaming the station, a kind of image change is required. A vivid example is the Izmailovsky Park metro station, which was renamed Partizanskaya and completely reconstructed in 2005. The station was closed for about a year, trains ran non-stop.
Incline Repair
This reason is typical for the closure of metro stations in St. Petersburg and partly in Moscowmetro. The presence of inclined passages is typical for deeply embedded platforms. The tunnel connects the station with the lobby. It usually houses a lift.
Inclined passages are more often repaired in the Northern capital, as they are located in extremely unstable layers and are highly exposed to groundwater. In the course of the work, the waterproofing is changed to a more modern one.
Closing the Baumanskaya metro station
Traffic at Baumanskaya station was stopped from February 8 to December 2015. The reason was the necessary lengthy reconstruction.
Due to the closure of the Baumanskaya metro station, additional ground transport traveled between neighboring stops for all 11 months. A special route "M" has been added. Buses run every minute from 8:00 to 10:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00.
The special route tram "B", which replaced the metro for 11 months, was decided to remain on a permanent basis.
Repair work succeeded:
- Replaced lifting ladders. Four new lifts allow a third more people to pass through.
- The underground gallery has been restored. The metro has acquired its original appearance of the 1944 model. Genuine natural materials were used for the restoration.
- Added modern equipment:
- checkpoints;
- fare terminals;
- sockets for charging electronics;
- wet umbrella packers.
Closing the Frunzenskaya metro station
InitiallyIt was planned to begin the restoration of the Frunzenskaya station in the summer of 2015, but the date was postponed due to a tender for repair work. The duration of the restoration of the subway was reduced from 15 to 14 months.
The closure of the Frunzenskaya metro station lasted from January 2 to December 2016. The renovation was completed two months before the scheduled date.
The situation with ground transport was resolved easier than when Baumanskaya was closed, as passenger traffic at Frunzenskaya was half as high.
Repair work included:
- Replacement of lifts. Four new lift ladders allow a third more people to pass through.
- Installation of new checkpoints and fare payment terminals.
- Restoration of the ground gallery.
- Renewal of electrical wiring and redundant systems.
Closing the metro station "Vasileostrovskaya"
Repair work in the Vasileostrovskaya metro station in St. Petersburg was repeatedly postponed: first, they had to wait for the exit from the Sportivnaya station to open, later the Economic Forum prevented it, and finally, the traffic stop on the platforms was postponed for the weekend.
The subway was closed from July 11, 2015 to May 2016. The renovation ended a month before the scheduled date.
Vasileostrovskaya is one of the busiest metro stations in St. Petersburg. To facilitate the movement of passengers, extraordinary ground transport units were introduced.
The following reparation and restoration work was carried out:
- Modernization of lifts.
- Repair of oblique stroke.
- Restoration of waterproofing.
- Restoration of the lobby.
In 2017, from January 28, traffic was blocked at the Lesnaya station in the St. Petersburg metro. The reparation will take about 11 months. It is planned to repair lifts and slopes, restore the lobby and install automatic doors for people with disabilities.
