By Olga Polikova
The depot has prepared thoroughly, with seven new trains ready to launch, although the exact date won’t be named until the end of August. Pavel Tsarun, the Head of the Directorate of Minsk Metro Construction, tells us that work on the new buildings is in full swing. “We’ve mounted the entrances, and are now performing finishing works and dismantling supports.” Next year, another metro station is to appear in the capital: Malinovka.
Safety is being given major priority, with innovations affecting the whole underground, explains Rostislav Yurenya, the Head of the Minsk Metro. By the end of the year, emergency devices will have been installed, which will summon the police at the touch of a button. Raised relief lines at the edge of platforms will also help passengers — especially those with impaired vision.
Escalators will be adjusted to move only when they are stepped upon at less busy stations, such as Molodezhnaya. Meanwhile, containers able to absorb explosive force are being fitted, into which suspicious items can be placed until they are removed. Within five years, security will be able to track every movement on trains in real time.
Work on the third metro line is in full swing, linking the southern part of Minsk with the north: from Zeleny Lug to
Kurasovshchina. Two additional hubs are planned, between Frunzenskaya and Yubileynaya stations and between Vokzalnaya and Ploshchad Lenina. Moreover, toilets and lifts for those with restricted mobility are being fitted at every station. Special doors are to be fitted on platforms, as in St. Petersburg, while trains will be equipped with special devices to control brakes, which will allow them to open at exact points along the platform.
