Kharkov metro is the second largest in Ukraine. Only the Kiev metro is inferior in the number of stations and the length of rails. It carries more than 250 million passengers per year. To date, the Kharkiv metro scheme consists of three lines, 29 stations operate and new ones are under construction. The fleet of cars consists of more than 200 units.
History of the Kharkov metro
Kharkiv Metro was launched on August 23, 1975. It was in
honor of this date that one of the last stations built in the Alekseyevka area was named. The need to build underground public transport was caused by a sharp increase in the city's inhabitants, and, consequently, the expansion of the city's districts. The first drilling of the soil began in 1968. Builders from Baku, Kiev, as well as Donetsk miners were invited to carry out the work.
The exact starting date for the start of construction was chosen on July 15, 1968, when the first trunk was laid in the vicinity of the
Kharkov railway station. And the construction of the first station - "Sovetskaya" - began in August of the same year and was timed to coincide with the
liberation of Kharkov from the Nazi invaders.
The first train run was carried out on July 30, 1975. On August 23, 1975, the Kharkiv metro scheme consisted of 6 stations. In the first year, the passenger
flow amounted to about 300 thousand passengers, with an
average speed of 40 km \ hour. In parallel, the construction of the next metro line began. In 1977, the Kharkov metro scheme was replenished with the first station of the second branch called "Pushkinskaya".
The third line - Alekseevskaya - was opened for development in 1984, bringing underground transport to the northern districts of the city. The ceremonial launch of the first station of this branch was made in independent Ukraine by President Leonid Kravchuk in 1995.
The metro scheme of Kharkov due to the Alekseevskaya branch expanded to 5 stations.
Modern metro
The modern Kharkov metro is a complex scheme of engineering structures, providing transportation of up to 800 thousand passengers every day. In the 90s, an automatic infrastructure maintenance system was put into operation, which increased the level of security and also reduced the cost of maintaining the system. All stations have video surveillance systems.
Metro, Kharkov. Line pattern
In total, the Kharkov metro serves passengers at 29 stations of three branches: Kholodnogorsk-Zavodskaya, Saltovskaya and Alekseevskaya. Each of the branches provides a message between the center and the respective microdistricts. Branches intertwine, creating a convenient opportunity for transplanting. Docking stations: "Gosprom" - "University", "Historical Museum" - "Soviet", "Metro builders named after Vashchenko" - "Sports". Each station is designed in accordance with the name, in different styles and using different building materials. The fare after the last increase is 4 hryvnia, which roughly corresponds to 20 US cents or 10 Russian rubles. Serves Kharkov Metro Municipal Company. There are more than 200 wagons in the park. The fleet of cars is regularly updated. According to the plan for expanding
the metro, the Kharkiv
metro scheme will be supplemented by 5 more stations and a car depot by 2026.