The Moscow metro is known for its efficiency and ornate stations. I rode it and found that it's miles ahead of New York City's subway system.
The Moscow metro, with more than 8.5 million passengers each day, is one of the busiest metro systems in the world.
It's also the most efficient, according to a 2018 report by global consulting firm McKinsey & Co, which ranked Moscow's public transport No. 1 in terms of efficiency. The system uses more than 2,000 cameras and 3,700 sensors to reduce congestion and synchronize traffic lights.
Source: The Moscow Times
The system has 15 lines and 232 stations. Trains start running at 6 a.m. and the last trains leave around 1 a.m.
Source: Moscow Metro
In addition to its efficiency, the Moscow metro is known for its beautifully ornate stations.
Source: Business Insider
My first trip on the Moscow metro began at the Park Kultury station in the south of central Moscow, a large, vaulted structure with elegant archways and a dome on top — as well as a Coca-Cola sign.
Source: Moscow Metro
Immediately after I walked through the doors, I noticed a ticket counter to my left with a sign that read, "We speak English!" I took advantage of this convenience and bought five single-ride metro tickets.
Source: Moscow Metro
A single ticket costs 55 rubles, or about 87 cents. On the New York City subway, a single ride is $2.75.
Source: MTA
In addition to single-ride tickets, Moscow metro passengers can buy 60 trips (valid for 45 days) for 1,900 rubles, or about $30, on the Troika transport card. There are also unlimited fares on the Troika cards for periods of one day, three days, 30 days, 90 days, and one year. An unlimited yearly pass costs 19,500 rubles, or about $308.
Source: Moscow Metro
Riders must pass through full-body security scanners before entering the metro system.
Source: Moscow Metro
The Moscow metro uses a contactless system, so you just hover your ticket or Troika card over the sensor, the doors open, and you pass through.
Source: Moscow Metro
The inside of the station had marble everywhere, vaulted ceilings, and chandeliers.
Source: Moscow Metro
An attendant was on hand to answer questions at an information desk in the center of the station.
Source: Moscow Metro
I headed underground, noticing a distinct lack of garbage, grime, and mysterious liquids on the ground.
Source: Moscow Metro
The platform was a stark contrast to a New York subway platform. For one, it was spotlessly clean and not at all crowded a little after 2 p.m. on a weekday. Instead of urine and garbage, the air smelled pleasantly like ... nothing.
Source: Moscow Metro
And although it was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit that day in Moscow, the station was cool and well-ventilated. In New York, temperatures in the stations can climb past 100 degrees in the summer.
Source: Moscow Metro
The train stops were clearly displayed on the wall in both Russian and English. I was on the Sokolnicheskaya line, the oldest in the system, on my way to to the Okhotny Ryad station, where I would transfer to another line.
Source: Moscow Metro
My train arrived about 30 seconds after I stepped onto the platform. I found that even though it looked like an old train, it was much quieter than trains in New York City.
Source: Moscow Metro
This particular train was not air conditioned, although a local told me the newer trains are. But because the platforms themselves were cool, and open windows on the train let in a breeze as we sped through the tunnels, it wasn't an issue.
Source: Moscow Metro
There was free WiFi available on every train car, but I found I didn't need it because I had cell phone service even between stations, which is definitely not the case in New York.
Source: Moscow Metro
I got off the train at Okhotny Ryad to switch to the green Zamoskvoretskaya line, and I was struck by the beauty of the station. Judging by photos I've seen, this one was far from the most beautiful station in the city. Yet compared to New York's dark, dirty, rat-infested stations, it practically looked like a museum.
Source: Moscow Metro
And once again, I waited less than 30 seconds before my train pulled into the station — which is perhaps not the norm, but it was a marvel to me after riding NYC's perpetually delayed trains.
Source: Moscow Metro
LED clocks on the platform displayed both the current time and the total elapsed time since the last train left the station. According to this clock, my train came just over two minutes after the last train left. Moscow metro trains have an average speed of more than 25 miles per hour, while NYC subway trains travel at an average 17 miles per hour.
Source: Moscow Metro, The New York Times
When I got off the train at the Tverskaya Station, I rode up a long escalator. The Moscow metro system has 872 escalators.
Source: Moscow Metro
I passed through a section of tunnel that was like a mini underground shopping center.
Source: Moscow Metro
I exited the metro at Moscow's famous Tverskaya Street, near Pushkin Square. On the way out I had to snap a photo of the entrance, which was decorated with a beautiful mural.
Source: Moscow Metro
Even after one ride on the Moscow metro, it was clear that the system's cleanliness, beauty, air quality in the stations, and efficiency of the trains are all miles ahead of the New York subway.
Source: Moscow Metro
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