The Moscow Metro declared that it has reached the record short 80-second headway on the Circle Line (Line 5) during the tests of the train operation control system.
The result became possible after the modernization of the control system on the line, which took place in early 2023. During the tests, up to 45 trains were running on both tracks, so they arrived at the stations with a minimum headway of about 80 seconds – faster than in Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Beijing subways.
After the modernization, trains arrive 6-10 seconds faster during peak hours. In addition, it adds more than 2.5 thousand extra seats in both directions, making trains less crowded. The stability of the train schedule increased as well, making the network more reliable.
“At the beginning of the year we installed a new microprocessor based interlocking system on the Circle Line, which reduced the headways between the trains, provided additional passenger seats and increased the reliability of the train control system. We have recently tested the system with domestic software in maximum load mode, and we managed to achieve the world’s shortest headway between trains – about 80 seconds, and confirmed in practice the reliability and smoothness of its operation”, said Maksim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.
He added that the new system on the domestic software works steadily and without interruptions at maximum load – it was made with the reserve to cope with the increase in the number of passengers.
(Moscow Metro)
