Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

Strange as it may sound, the subway is one of those places that say something very special about each city. It remembers thousands of people walking through it every day for years, while they remember very little of the time they spend there.

Opened in 1967, Baku Metro, the first subway system in the East, has transformed the way the city moves, works and travels.

Serving the residents and guests of the capital for 50 years, Baku Metro is the most affordable and safest way to get around the city. With 25 stations on 3 lines -Green, Red and Purple, currently the metro is 36.63 km in length.

About 600,000 passengers daily use the train network in Baku, travelling on the underground, to get around the capital, without ever thinking too much about how the system works.

But hundreds of meters below the surface, a change is coming - a change that will reshape the transport system.

Now, Baku Metro is working on expansion of the lines to make the life of the residents more convenient.

Head of the Traffic Service Department Etibar Isayev said that the Metro has started working on expansion of the ‘Green’ line construction.

“Work has already begun. The territory for new stations has already been allocated and fenced. But it is too early to speak about any concrete terms for its completion,” he told Trend.

The ‘Green’ line of Baku Metro is planned to be turned into a ring road. The ‘Green’ line construction stipulates building of three stations between Khatai and Hazi Aslanov stations, as well as the connection between Darnagul and Hazi Aslanov stations. Nine new stations are planned to be built between the two stations.

In the long term, when the tunnels between Jafar Jabbarli and Nizami stations are ready, as well as Y-14, Y-15 and Y-16 stations [between Khatai and Hazi Aslanov] are completed, Khatai station will be intermediate on the Green branch.

This line is set to increase the rail capacity, and cut journey times across the capital dramatically, as well as lower congestion at many key points across the network.

Isayev said that construction of stations on the ‘Purple’ line of Baku Metro is also underway.

The new station, which bears the conventional name B-3, is being built near the Central Military Hospital along Jalil Mammadguluzade Street.

The station, which is planned to be commissioned in 2018, is a part of the on the ‘Purple’ line, which also includes Memar Adjemi-2 and Avtovokzal stations.

“The construction work is also underway on the ‘Purple’ line. After their completion, it will take some time to deliver the necessary equipment, after which the new station will be commissioned,” he said.

By 2030 it is planned to expand the infrastructure of Baku Metro and create a giant underground transport network. Then, Baku will have a train network consisting of five lines, including three available and two additional, as well as 76 stations and underground network with a length of 119 kilometers.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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