Metro stations can be closed for a short period of time in case of emergency, for small repairs or to block traffic during festive events.
Accidents
Accidents in the subway often occur due to non-compliance with safety rules and rules of use. This is especially true for behavior on the escalator.
In 2002, a tragedy occurred at the Kievskaya station (ring): at the exit from the escalator, an elderly woman damaged her teeth controlling the steps with her bag on wheels. The unbent comb of the lift tightened the clothes of the two passengers who were following. They were later amputated. The metro was blocked 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. The movement was stopped for first aid and to eliminate the consequences.
Crashes
Accidents are usually caused by wear and tear or improper use of equipment. In some cases, it’s not the stations that are closed, but entire metro lines.
In 1982, at the Aviamotornaya station, as a result of an escalator breakdown, a 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 a disaster in the move that claimed the lives of 24 people, the closure of the Slavyansky Boulevard and Victory Park metro stations lasted several days. The cause of the accident was the improper operation of the switch mechanism: the arrow was fixed with wire.
Security threat
The metro station can be closed for a short time if a threat to the safety of passengers and working personnel of the subway is detected, as well as to eliminate the consequences of the attack.
In 2010, after the attacks at Park Kultury and Lubyanka stations, the closure of Moscow metro stations between Sportivnaya and Komsomolskaya lasted several hours.
After the terrorist attack in the St. Petersburg metro in 2017, all stations of the city metro were closed before the end of the day.
Repairs
The closure of metro stations is regularly due to repairs. As a rule, two to three days are enough to carry out the necessary work.
This year, the Pervomaiskaya, Fili and Pionerskaya stations were closed for a short time.
Events
Separate metro stations located in the central part of the city are closed during the holidays, processions and rehearsals of parades.
In Moscow, the Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya, Ploshchad Revolyutsii, and Lubyanka metro stations regularly close. For example, on Victory Day, on the above platforms, only a transplant was possible, the movement of trains was stopped.
Long term closure
Sometimes the stations are closed for a long period, up to several months. This is due to the need for serious repair and restoration work.
Overhaul
The main reason for the closure of metro stations in Moscow for a long time.
They try to carry out major repairs in stages to avoid 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 additional ground transport, depending on the station’s traffic. For the transport of passengers using additional buses, trolleybuses, trams, fixed-route taxis, create special flights.
In most cases, metro stations continue to operate, while retaining partial functionality. For example, when replacing one of the escalators or repairing the ground lobby, one of the entrances, but not the entire station, is closed.
Escalator upgrade
Congestions and traffic jams on escalators at rush hour are familiar to any subway passenger: a crowd of people on the way to the lift, people move very slowly closer to the entrance. This situation is due to the insufficient capacity of the old-style escalators.
Escalators of the new sample withstand the same load, but take up less space in width. In fact, three old lifts can be replaced immediately with four new ones, which allows a third more people to pass through and significantly reduce the crowding on the way.
When it is necessary to increase throughput, it is impossible to upgrade the lifting machines one at a time, everything has to be changed 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, which, in addition to installing new equipment, requires the replacement of concrete floors and electrical wiring.
Ground lobby repair
The underground lobby of the metro stations is made of less durable materials than the underground. Do not forget about the difference in temperature and humidity, depending on the time of year. All of these factors affect wear.
Repairing the ground lobby is not fast and time-consuming. In any case, the exit from the subway 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 completely close it.
Underground lobby repair
Each Moscow metro station has its own unique recognizable style. However, in case of renaming a station, a peculiar change of image is required. A striking example is the Izmailovsky Park metro station, which was renamed Partizanskaya and completely renovated in 2005. The station was closed for about a year, trains followed without stopping.
Slope Repair
This reason is typical for the closure of St. Petersburg metro stations and partially for the Moscow metro. The presence of inclined moves is characteristic of deeply laid platforms. The tunnel connects the station with the lobby. It usually houses a lift.
Inclined passages are often repaired in the Northern capital, as they are located in extremely unstable formations and are highly susceptible to groundwater. In the course of work, waterproofing is changed to a more modern one.
Closing of the Baumanskaya metro station
Traffic at the Baumanskaya station was stopped from February 8 to December 2015. The reason was the necessary long-term reconstruction.
In connection with the closure of the Baumanskaya metro station, for 11 months, additional ground transport drove between neighboring stops. A special route “M” was added. From 8:00 to 10:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00, buses ran every minute.
They decided to leave the special route tram "B", which replaced the metro for 11 months, on an ongoing basis.
Repair work was successful:
- Replaced the climbing stairs. Four new lifts let in a third more people.
- The underground gallery was restored. The metro acquired its original form in 1944. For restoration we used genuine natural materials.
- Added modern equipment:
- access control devices;
- payment terminals;
- sockets for charging electronics;
- packers of wet umbrellas.
Closing of the Frunzenskaya metro station
Initially, it 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 repairs. The duration of the metro restoration was reduced from 15 to 14 months.
The closure of the Frunzenskaya metro station lasted from January 2 to December 2016. Repair completed two months before the scheduled date.
The situation with land transport was resolved easier than when the Baumanskaya was closed, as the passenger flow on Frunzenskaya is half as much.
Repair work included:
- Replacement lifts. Four new lift ladders allow one third more people to enter.
- Installation of new access control devices and toll stations.
- Restoration of the ground gallery.
- Updating wiring and backup systems.
Closing of the metro station "Vasileostrovskaya"
Repair work in the Vasileostrovskaya metro station in St. Petersburg was repeatedly postponed: first, it was necessary to wait for the exit from the Sportivnaya station to open, later the Economic Forum hindered, and finally, the traffic stop on the platforms was postponed for the weekend.
The metro was closed from July 11, 2015 to May 2016. Repair 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 repair and restoration work was carried out:
- Modernization of lifts.
- Reparation of an inclined course.
- Restoration of waterproofing.
- Restoration of the lobby.
In January 2017, traffic was blocked at the Lesnaya station in the St. Petersburg metro from January 28. Reparation will take about 11 months. It is planned to repair the elevators and the inclined course, the restoration of the lobby and the installation of automatic doors for people with disabilities.