The authorities have determined the traffic mode for the high-speed tram line in the Moscow region. The trains will run on schedule with a minimum time interval, General Director of the ANO "Directorate of the Moscow Transport Hub" Alexey Petrov.
He explained that it was decided to abandon the idea of clock movement. Instead, light rail will operate on a scheduled basis. The interval will be longer than that of metro and MCC trains, but not by much - so that the passenger does not leave without waiting for transport.
Petrov added that the trams themselves will have similar characteristics to the Lastochka, but with less axle load. Negotiations are currently underway with top manufacturers of rail transport - Siemens (Germany), Bombardier (Canada), Sinara, CNR (China), ALSTOM (France), Transmashholding and many others.
“The train must reach a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, quickly accelerate and brake quickly, like a metro train, the carriage will have at least three doors to quickly exit and enter. A standard gauge of 1520 mm will be laid under the rolling stock. Movement will be tied to schedule," Petrov said.
They intend to actively develop rail transport in the Moscow region. The length of the light metro line in the Moscow region will be 246 kilometers. The new transport network will connect more than 20 large cities: Khimki, Dolgoprudny, Odintsovo, Podolsk, Domodedovo, Ramenskoye, Kotelniki, Lyubertsy, Balashikha, Mytishchi and others. For this purpose, it is planned to build about 50 stations in the Moscow region. The design speed of trains will vary from 45 to 100 km/h. In March 2016, the authorities of the Moscow region stretched 74 kilometers.
"With a normal schedule, the intervals are not always respected"
The interval of movement of the region's high-speed tram should not exceed twenty minutes, believes Deputy Head of the Probok.net Expert Center Alexander Chekmarev.
“The need for frequency of movement is determined by passenger traffic during peak periods to ensure maximum capacity. Therefore, intervals should not exceed 20 minutes even in the late evening. If you wait too long, the person will leave the stop for an alternative mode of transport,” says Chekmarev.
The tram project should be well-developed, he added. “This project has not yet been fully thought out, because the route passes mainly through areas where there is practically no residential development. Also, the interchange hubs are not well planned. For example, at the intersection in the Domodedovo area between the high-speed tram and the Paveletsky direction of the Moscow Railway, there are no transfers, but there is an inconvenient intersection with the Aviatsionnaya station,” the specialist noted in a conversation with the site.
At the same time, the expert believes that the clock schedule is still more convenient for passengers. “The clock schedule is convenient because it has certain periods of time after which the tram arrives each time. For example, every 15 minutes a train will arrive at a stop. With a regular schedule, the intervals are not always observed, and the schedule may shift, and this will be inconvenient for passengers.” , concluded the interlocutor of the site.
The capital's surface transport, the metro and the Moscow Central Circle operate on a regular schedule. At the same time in the city
This has never happened in the region before. The ring line should connect 20 large cities near Moscow (see diagram): Podolsk, Klimovsk, Domodedovo, Konstantinovo, Lytkarino, Kotelniki, Ramenskoye, Zhukovsky, Lyubertsy, Reutov, Balashikha, Fryazino, Shchelkovo, Ivanteevka, Korolev, Mytishchi, Dolgoprudny, Khimki, Krasnogorsk, Odintsovo.
About 4 million people live there. In addition, the high-speed tram will connect all 4 airports of the capital: Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Ramenskoye (it is promised to open in the near future).
For the first time, the Moscow region authorities started talking about light rail transport (LRT) three years ago (more details on kp.ru). And now it has become known that the regional government has finally approved the design of the first launch complex - Podolsk - Domodedovo - Zhukovsky - Ramenskoye (see diagram). Construction will begin in 2017.
To finance the LRT project, extra-budgetary sources will be attracted, including private investors, the press service of the Main Directorate of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Moscow Region told Komsomolskaya Pravda. - It is now assumed that it will be implemented in the form of a public-private partnership. The project is of interest to investors, given the significant potential passenger traffic and the route of the line with a call at the country's largest airport, Domodedovo.
Construction of one kilometer will cost almost one and a half billion rubles.
Almost an hour and a half faster
The Circle Line will be built in four stages. It is expected that all 246 kilometers of rail track will be built by 2035. The launch of a high-speed tram will significantly reduce the load on the Moscow Ring Road and other roads. There is another important point: 56 thousand jobs will appear during the first stage of construction. There is so much because there is a lot of work: not only to lay the rail bed, but also to build transport hubs, highway passages, engineering facilities, organize parking lots, etc.
And when the first section of the ring line is launched, residents of Podolsk or Ramenskoye, where there is currently a shortage of vacancies, will be able to get a job in Domodedovo or Zhukovsky. And if today the road from Podolsk to Domodedovo takes at least 1 hour 50 minutes, then after the launch of the high-speed tram this time will be reduced to 35 minutes.
What will be demolished
The large-scale construction of the ring line involves the demolition of some buildings. The main department of architecture of the Moscow region notes that by July 1 of this year they will prepare “all documents on the volume and assessment of real estate objects that are planned for seizure as falling within the construction zone.” There is no specific information yet about what kind of buildings these will be. It is known that only during the construction of the first launch complex will several houses in the Ramensky district be demolished. Their owners will be paid appropriate compensation.
Vegetable gardens will get closer
Surely the new project will be appreciated not only by residents of the region, but also by Muscovites. Now it will become much more convenient for many summer residents to get to their plots.
The tram ring will cross several metro stations (see “From the capital’s subway to the Moscow region tram”). Transport interchange hubs will be built there, passengers will be able to move from one transport to another and get from the city to the region.
Four sections of the transport ring
1. Southern chord line Podolsk - Klimovsk - Domodedovo - Domodedovo airport - Konstantinovo - Ramenskoye.
2. Eastern chord line: Konstantinovo - Lytkarino - Kotelniki - Lyubertsy - Moscow - Zheleznodorozhny - Balashikha.
3. Northern chord line: Balashikha - Shchelkovo - Ivanteevka - Korolev - Mytishchi.
4. Western chord line: Mytishchi - Dolgoprudny - airport "Sheremetyevo" - Khimki - Moscow (Kurkino) - Putilkovo - Moscow (Mitino) - Krasnogorsk (metro station "Myakinino") - Krasnogorsk (Pavshino) - Moscow (international financial center - Rublevo) - Odintsovo - Odintsovo-"City" - Moscow (TiNAO) - Podolsk (TPU "Grassnechiki").
It is not yet known which trams will travel around the ring. But they must meet the following characteristics:
The minimum interval between trains is 90 seconds;
The length of the rolling stock is up to 60 meters;
The capacity of one train is up to 500 passengers;
The maximum speed that the train will develop on individual stages is up to 100 km/h;
The maximum capacity of the line is up to 20 thousand passengers per direction during rush hour.
EXPERT'S COMMENT
“This transport is the most economical and convenient”
Ekaterina SHEVTSOVA, Natalia VARSEGOVA
On the air of Radio “KP” (97.2 FM), the head of the department of transport telematics at the Moscow Automobile and Road Institute, Vladimir Vlasov, explained why a tram was chosen for such a large-scale project.
The tram is designed to provide a connection between the center of the capital and the suburbs, which are gradually becoming part of the Greater Moscow agglomeration. These are Mytishchi, Podolsk and all nearby cities. Many of their residents work in the capital, so there is always a large passenger flow here. In this case, the tram is more cost-effective than electric trains. This is a more convenient and comfortable form of transportation.
- What about commuter trains? There are a lot of them in the region!
They are simply integrated into the general transport system of the city. Like, say, in the same Paris. There, the metro and trains run the same within the city. In addition, building a light rail line is much cheaper than building a railway line. In addition, electric trains require quite long distances. They cannot stop every 100 - 200 meters, but the tram just can, while gaining sufficient speed.
From Podolsk to Ramenskoye it is planned to build a tram depot and 8 transport interchange hubs (TPU) - from the Kuznechiki TPU to the Ramenskoye TPU.
On the territory of each transport hub there will be a multifunctional complex - passenger transport stops, parking lots, office and shopping and entertainment centers, etc.
For example, at the Vesennyaya transport hub (southern part of Podolsk), car passages and a pedestrian crossing at different levels across the highway will be built, connecting the eastern and western parts of the transport hub.
The Domodedovo Airport TPU project assumes that passengers from a high-speed tram car will be able to immediately go to the airport terminal building.
From the capital's subway to the Moscow region tram
According to the project, the ring tram line should pass through the existing metro stations: Kotelniki, Volokolamskaya, Myakinino. And in the future, it will cross the Nekrasovka, Chelobitevo, Rasskazovka, Stolbovo, and Kommunarka stations currently under construction.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What else do you think needs to be built in the Moscow region?
Andrey TUMANOV, State Duma deputy:
It is necessary to create a gasification program for gardening partnerships, because most of them, especially in the near Moscow region, have long ago turned into full-fledged villages. So they need to be legitimized, and there is such experience.
Alexey MAMONTOV, President of the Moscow International Monetary Association:
In the Moscow region it is necessary to create new jobs - build new enterprises. The more jobs there are, the less busy Moscow will be.
Oleg SIROTA, Moscow region cheese farmer:
The Central Ring Road, the fourth transport ring, first of all! This will greatly relieve congestion on the clogged roads, because now the lion's share of cargo goes through Moscow, which results in very long and nerve-wracking logistics. For example, it is now faster for me to deliver milk from the Kaluga region than from other areas of the Moscow region...
Viktor CHEPUROV, People's Teacher of Russia, Honorary Citizen of the Moscow Region:
I live in the city of Shchelkovo, the population is more than 100 thousand people. For all cultural events we have only one club. This is no good - we need a large concert hall. That's what I would have built first.
Anton MOSTOVOY, executive director of the transport company:
In large cities of the region, build normal intercepting parking lots. Our buses can barely squeeze through to the bus stations because of the cars left on the street. Well, or let them introduce paid parking. Then it will be easier for public transport to travel.
Olga NAZAROVA, listener of Radio “KP” (97.2 FM):
In some places, on the contrary, we need to stop building. I live in the Lyubertsy district, and our scourge is multi-storey infill development. At the same time, infrastructure facilities cannot keep up with them, and the area is already feeling overcrowded.
M.Yu. Nikulin,
chief designer of the design bureau "Electrical complexes and transport systems", associate professor at NSTU
N. I. Shchurov,
doc. tech. Sciences, Professor, Novosibirsk State Technical University
Prospects for light rail transport in Russian cities
The development of a light rail transport system is the best option for solving the transport problem in large cities. As the experience of developed countries and the calculations of domestic researchers shows, it is this type of transport that best combines such qualities as high carrying capacity, speed, environmental friendliness, comfort, safety and relatively low cost.
In February 2010, the town planning council of the Novosibirsk City Hall approved and adopted the “Concept for the construction of a high-speed tram until 2030.” The document was developed by specialists from the Research and Design Institute of Territorial Development and Transport Infrastructure (NIPI TRTI, St. Petersburg) and transport specialists from Novosibirsk State Technical University.
The emergence of this concept is due to objective circumstances.
Firstly, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank recently approached the Novosibirsk mayor's office with proposals. They name the light rail transit (LRT) system as a priority for investment. In addition, proposals are being received from domestic and foreign manufacturers of rolling stock for LRT.
Secondly, the developing and intensively built-up largest Siberian city needs clearly verified and scientific, deeply researched urban planning documents - such as the “Scheme for the development of the road network until 2030.” and the mentioned concept.
Thirdly, a paradigm shift in the development of urban transport in Novosibirsk is overdue. On the one hand, the federal center stopped funding the development of subways, which raised the question of the feasibility and possibility of continuing the construction of new Novosibirsk subway stations. On the other hand, the rapid extensive development of bus traffic, which has characterized the last decade, has come to the point where this type of urban transport can no longer make a qualitative leap towards improving transport services for citizens.
Global trend
As the experience of developed countries shows, it is LRT that allows citizens to move around the streets quickly, comfortably, safely and relatively cheaply and contributes to the creation of a high-quality urban environment. LRT began to return to the streets of cities in Europe, North America, and Australia since the early 1980s. In Europe alone, about 100 light rail and tram systems have been revived in the previous 30 years.
This was a response to the explosive development of motorization. Initially, the municipal authorities of large Western cities solved the problem through the extensive development of the road network, creating high-speed automobile diameters and multi-level interchanges. But all these measures did not lead to a breakthrough in improving the transport situation and creating a comfortable urban environment.
In a number of cases, municipalities took forced and unpopular measures: the introduction of paid parking, traffic restrictions in some areas, even banning entry into central areas of cities. However, then the emphasis was placed on public transport, in particular on light rail systems, which over three decades have proven their viability and efficiency.
In the conditions of growing motorization, the largest cities in the east of the continent turned to the experience of old Europe. Now there are high-speed trams in the Polish cities of Krakow and Poznan, and such a system is being built in Szczecin. The rapid tram line in Budapest, operating Siemens rolling stock, has proven its efficiency and high carrying capacity. In fact, it serves as a metro line. Its capacity is more than 20 thousand passengers per hour in one direction.
The countries of the post-Soviet space do not remain aloof from the global trend. The mayor's office of the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, signed a memorandum with the French manufacturer Alstom on the joint construction of an intra-city light rail system. Design work has already begun.
Undeniable advantages The appearance of the “Concept for the construction of high-speed trams until 2030,” a unique urban planning document in Novosibirsk, is evidence that the city community has realized the problems of the transport system and sees ways to solve them in the development of the LRT system. The rapid increase in the number of cars has caused worsening conditions and slower travel speeds. According to the forecast indicators of the master plan, by 2030 the level of motorization in the city will reach 300 cars per 1 thousand residents.
However, this predicted level will be exceeded in a few years, since there are already 270 cars per 1 thousand inhabitants. The modern public transport system of Novosibirsk does not meet the increased demands and needs of citizens.
As noted in the “Scheme for the Development of the Novosibirsk Road Network”, developed by St. Petersburg designers, if decisive measures are not taken, then in the very near future the city’s road network will not be able to cope with the sharply increased traffic, and in a number of areas the load will exceed 100%. To change the worsening situation from year to year and prevent transport collapse, the scheme plans to build more than 100 objects.
But extensively expanding the road network and concentrating all city resources on this task would be a short-sighted solution. The second component in the comprehensive development of the city’s transport system should be the development of high-speed public transport, which is now virtually represented only by the metro. At the same time, the volume of traffic on the Novosibirsk metro has remained at the same level over the last decade. After the opening of three stations on the Dzerzhinskaya line, there was no significant increase in passenger traffic. Trolleybus transportation has also stabilized, and the length of the network is not increasing.
As for the Novosibirsk tram, it is in a state of degradation: tracks have been removed in a number of sections, the number of rolling stock has been reduced; The cars used are almost 90% exhausted and do not meet the quality criteria for transportation.
In recent years, only bus service has been rapidly developing, but its further growth is hampered by the low speed of bus movement in the general traffic flow and the inability of this type of transport to cover powerful passenger flows. In the general flow, the bus speed is reduced to 8-10 km/h, and the carrying capacity is limited to 6-8 thousand passengers during rush hour.
It should be noted that the population’s demand for high-quality intracity passenger transportation will grow. The LRT system in these conditions is the very missing link, the creation of which will make it possible to fulfill the strategic goal: to stabilize the share of public transport in passenger transportation at a level of about 80–85% of their total number. As stated in the Dresden Declaration of 2004, “the tram is the only type of ground passenger transport that, in dense urban areas, is technologically able to provide high volumes of traffic at reasonable investment and operating costs. It is not only an environmentally friendly mode of transport, but also has the ability to provide high-quality and highly profitable transportation services for all categories of citizens at an affordable price.”
This type of transport is practically not inferior in speed to the metro and has slightly less capacity in terms of passenger transportation volumes with a high level of comfort, safety and environmental friendliness.
Speed directions
In their work, NIPI TRTI specialists relied on a number of urban planning documents, including the new “General Plan of Novosibirsk” (2007), “Scheme of the Novosibirsk Road Network until 2030” (2009), proposals from specialists from the Department of Electrical Engineering Complexes of the Novosibirsk State Technical University and a number others.
Existing passenger flows and promising transport correspondence between the sites of new residential construction and places of employment, promising schemes for the development of the metro and tram, options for the redistribution of traffic flows taking into account the development of the road network and the organization of accelerated movement of vehicles, the possibility of integrating the high-speed tram system with the metro, were analyzed. city railway and traditional tram. As a result, four directions of accelerated movement of the high-speed tram were determined: northern, western, southern radii and a central diameter with an eastern section.
The northern radius of the high-speed tram will serve the fast-growing residential areas of Rodniki and Snegiri, as well as the remote village of Pashino in the Kalininsky district. The first stage provides for the organization of transportation to the existing Zaeltsovskaya metro station. The second stage will make it possible to pass a high-speed tram through the promising Yeltsovsky Bridge to the left bank of the Ob, and, subject to the construction of the Botanical Garden metro station, to provide an additional high-speed exit from rapidly developing microdistricts.
The southern radius of the high-speed tram will provide transportation to the existing metro station “Marksa Square” and will connect with it remote microdistricts of ObGES, Krasnoobsk and other areas of mass development, and will also provide transportation to the Kirov industrial zone. In the longer term, a connection will be created along the Melkombinatovsky Bridge across the Ob of the left-bank tram systems with the right-bank ones.
The western radius is necessary to serve passengers and employees of Tolmachevo Airport and the developing industrial and logistics park near the city of Ob; he must provide transportation to the Ploshchad Marksa metro station.
The key element of the concept is the proposal regarding the central diameter: in accordance with it, a high-speed tram connection should be created between the banks of the Ob River along the promising Central Bridge. The capacity of the six-lane bridge when cars and buses cross it is 7–10 thousand passengers per hour, and if a tram line is built along the bridge, it increases 3–4 times. At the same time, the roadway for the tramway will need to be widened by only 7 m.
In addition, the central diameter, bypassing the city center, will provide connections between all radial directions of the metro, urban rail and light rail lines. The eastern section will in the future be extended into the area of promising development - the Klyuch-Kamyshensky plateau and a number of microdistricts of the Oktyabrsky district to the Volochaevskaya metro station.
Principle of integration
One of the key points of the concept is the principle of integration embedded in it. The high degree of connectivity of light rail lines both with the existing tram network and with other types of urban transport forms an urban transport framework, the components of which are also the metro and the railway.
A modern approach should involve convenient transfers from one type of transport to another. Therefore, the concept provides for the development of complex interchange hubs: on Marx, Truda, Kalinin squares and in a number of other key places in the city. When the light rail proposals are fully implemented, the existing tram network will be approximately 25% utilised. This will ensure the preservation of transport corridors for the tram and exclude new development in those areas.
It is necessary to dispel the misconception that the concept cancels the development of the metro in Novosibirsk. The document provides for the development of interchange hubs at a number of metro stations and the linking of high-speed tram routes to them, which will not only ensure a comfortable trip and transfer from one type of public transport to another, but will also load existing metro lines without significant capital investments. The high-speed tram will not replace the development of the metro, but will only harmoniously complement it.
The “Concept for the construction of a high-speed tram in Novosibirsk until 2030” is currently being coordinated. with newly developed urban planning documents - detailed plans for various districts of the city of Novosibirsk. It is important to ensure priority for the development of high-speed modes of transport so that existing and future developments do not become an obstacle to the implementation of specific transport construction projects in the city. Architects often forget the postulate about the primacy of transport infrastructure when creating a comfortable living environment for citizens and incorporate outdated solutions (buses and minibuses) into detailed planning projects.
As for capital investments, the implementation of the concept provides for an estimated volume of investments from 13.4 to 16.7 billion rubles. according to various options. The payback period is from 15–17 years. This corresponds to the payback period for the construction of transport systems in Western European cities.
With comparable capital costs, the city can get only 3–5 metro stations, which, at the current pace of construction, citizens will wait for many years, and their coverage of the urban area will remain extremely low. If the concept of building a high-speed tram is fully implemented, this will dramatically improve transport services for a large part of Novosibirsk.
Implementation problems
The implementation of LRT in Russian cities is hampered by problems that can be divided into three groups. The first includes legislative issues. In Russia, there is still no unified law on urban passenger transport, which would clearly regulate the interaction of federal, regional and local authorities and transport service operators, stipulate clear and transparent conditions for holding competitions for transportation, and indicate the general responsibilities of local administrations in the field of organizing transportation , the criteria for choosing modes of transport and their interaction with each other were established by law. Such a law should be based on clear criteria for the quality of service to the population in urban passenger transport. A special place in the law should be given to the development of electric modes of transport and their protection from voluntaristic, often deeply unprofessional decisions of local authorities to reduce the share of electric transport in transportation.
Unfortunately, amendments have not yet been made to the Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation obliging local authorities to develop comprehensive transport schemes based on master plans of cities and agglomerations, through which it would be possible, in particular, to resolve issues of long-term transport planning, the creation of security zones free from development zones intended for promising transport corridors.
The second group of problematic issues is related to the lack of a modern regulatory and technical base, including for the implementation of LRT systems. Today in Russia there is no clear definition of light rail transport. This term is often understood as a high-speed tram, but in fact it is somewhat broader. LRT are integrated systems, such as tram lines for regular street and accelerated traffic, separate lines for high-speed traffic, up to completely isolated ones. So-called light metro systems may also fall under this term.
For the successful implementation of LRT, it is necessary to develop new technical regulations that describe the requirements for rolling stock, track devices, methods of integration with other modes of transport, including individual transport, energy supply systems, maintenance, traffic management, etc.
Obviously, the introduction of light rail transport is hampered by such “archaic” regulatory requirements, such as, for example, the limitation of the distance between lines and buildings present in the current SNiP, which for new construction must be at least 20 m from the axis of the track. Instead of limiting the distance, it is necessary, following the example of Europe, to introduce standards for limiting noise, vibration and other impacts. It is necessary to abolish tram speed limits on bridges, overpasses, and tunnels. There are also no technical standards regulating the construction of underground sections of tram lines and stations. As a result, the underground sections of the tram in Volgograd were built according to the standards of the classic “heavy” metro for the USSR with a corresponding cost of up to 100 million euros per 1 km of a reduced double-track shallow section, while underground sections of a tram abroad have a reduced cost of up to 30–50 million euros for 1 km.
UDC 711.7:656.34 A.S. Morozov, V.E. Sviridenkov
ABOUT A MODERN APPROACH TO LIGHT RAIL TRANSPORT
Light rail transport (LRT) is a passenger rail transport system with rolling stock designed for operation both off-street and on the road network.
In domestic practice, the term “light rail transport” has not yet come into widespread use; The traditional term for improved rail service based on on-street and off-street rolling stock is “light rail.”
In Russia, there is no consensus on what constitutes a high-speed tram. According to some, only a tram line can be called “high-speed”, all intersections of which with vehicular and pedestrian flows are made at different levels, isolated from the “regular” tram network; According to others, the main criterion for a “high-speed” line is the speed of communication, while the presence of multi-level intersections is not significant.
Since the 1990s, the development of tram lines in Russia has been completely stopped. Meanwhile, abroad there is a massive development of transport systems based on tram technology. The authors analyzed the speeds of foreign light rail systems to understand what methods are used to achieve high speeds and how the concept of “light rail” has evolved over the past 20 years.
The current SNiP 2.05.09-90 “Tram and trolleybus lines” indicate that tram lines are designed “with design speeds of less than 24 km/h (regular tram) and 24 km/h or more (high-speed tram) ... Traffic on high-speed tram lines, as a rule, should be organized independently from a tram operating in normal mode... Intersections of high-speed tram lines with city roads and streets, surface metro lines, pedestrian flows, as well as with other tram lines must be provided at different levels" .
At the same time, D.S. Samoilov pointed out that “a tram line can be considered as a high-speed line if the speed of communication is 25 km/h or more,” but did not put forward strict requirements for separating the high-speed tram tracks from the regular ones. On the contrary, it is said that “in order to create a route scheme that provides a large number of direct connections in the directions of the main passenger flows, it is allowed to run light rail trains through certain sections of the regular tram network. Ordinary trams may also be allowed to operate on the high-speed line, provided that this does not violate the established traffic intervals” (“City Transport”, M., 1975).
In the monograph by Yu.A. Stavnichy (“Transport systems of cities”, M., 1990) there are 4 types of tram lines: 1) on a combined track, 2) on a separate track with priority, 3) on a separate track with multi-level intersections (intersections at the same level are an exception ) and limited routing and, finally, 4) completely isolated lines without sibling crossings and no routing. The author especially notes that “all these types of lines should form a single “Tram” system.”
According to V.V. Khitsenko, “a high-speed tram line (SLT) is understood as a street-off-street line of sufficiently long length with parameters that ensure high speed of communication. It is the high speed of communication achieved on the SLT thanks to a set of technical and organizational measures, and not the presence of underground sections or interchanges at different levels, that is the criterion for classifying a tram line as a high-speed one" (Development of High-Speed Tram Transport, M., 1992).
While SNiP require isolating the “high-speed tram” from the “regular” and ensuring that all “high-speed tram” intersections are at different levels, many experts consider as a positive aspect the possibility of combining systems and switching rolling stock from “regular” lines to “high-speed” and on the contrary, as is the case in practice in cities abroad.
Of the 15 cities of the USSR in which a high-speed tram was built, in one city (Krivoy Rog, 1986) all line crossings were made at different levels; another line (Novopolotsk, 1974) has one intersection on the service section of the track (entrance to the turning circle); the remaining high-speed lines are integrated into the city tram network and have single-level intersections with main streets.
The authors analyzed the actual speeds of communication on LRT routes in North America, depending on the presence or absence of single-level intersections and isolation of the roadway from road transport in order to rank routes by speed of communication, taking into account that the speed of communication is one of the main indicators of the quality of the transport system (Table 1 ).
The length of the studied routes in the indicated cities, as well as the distances between stops, were found based on the authors tracing the routes using Google maps; message times are determined based on schedules obtained on the official websites of carrier companies. A visual inspection of the entire route was carried out in a number of cities.
Table 1. Dependence of the speed of LRT traffic on the degree of isolation of rail tracks from vehicles in North America
Line (route) | Degree of line isolation from vehicular traffic | Distance between stations, km | Communication speed, km/h |
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Tunnel and overpass sections on stretches | Underground and overground stations | All intersections at different levels | The canvas is isolated throughout | Minimum | Maximum |
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Note: the sign (*) marks joint sections of LRT routes in the central part of cities, built on a separate road surface, but with frequent intersections with vehicles at the same level, passing in areas of intense pedestrian traffic.
: the sign (*) marks joint sections of LRT routes in the central part of cities, made on a separate road surface, but with frequent intersections with vehicles at the same level, passing in areas of intense pedestrian traffic.
The table lists LRT routes indicating their characteristics: the presence or absence of tunnel (overpass) sections and stations, compliance with SNiP requirements (all intersections at different levels), the presence of a separate roadbed along the entire route route, average, minimum and maximum distance between stations along the route route, as well as the speed of communication.
Only on one of the indicated 20 routes (Los Angeles, Green) all intersections with traffic flows are made at different levels.
The speed of communication on 6 LRT lines with the presence of single-level intersections exceeds the speed of communication on the Filyovskaya metro line in Moscow (37 km/h).
Of the 30 LRT routes analyzed, in 20 cases a speed of over 24 km/h is provided, satisfying the “high-speed tram” criterion.
Minimum and maximum distances between stops also do not affect communication speeds. Contrary to the requirements of SNiP 2.05.09-90 (prescribes that the distance between stopping points of the “high-speed tram” be at least 800 m), the distance between stops on LRT routes ranges from 160-280 m, while the speed of communication is up to 36-39 km/h ( Portland, Sacramento, Minneapolis).
In the central part of the cities of Sacramento, Portland, and San Diego, the lines are designed on a roadway separate from motor vehicles, but with frequent stops and numerous intersections at one level without priority right of way, and pass through areas with heavy pedestrian traffic. Despite the similarity of the central sections of the routes with a traditional tram, the average speed along the entire length of the route remains high (Sacramento: speed of service in the city center - 17.1 km/h, along the entire line - 39.7 km/h).
The speed of communication is directly influenced by two factors: 1) the presence of traffic areas in the general traffic flow (San Francisco); 2) the average distance between stops along the route (Salt Lake City - Red Line, as well as sections in city centers where the distances between stops are minimal).
For the quality and speed of communication, the type of rolling stock (tram car or subway car) is not of fundamental importance. Previously, a significant difference was the presence of steps at the entrance to the tram car; Today, with the widespread development of low-floor rolling stock, both in the subway and on the tram, the platform level coincides with the floor level in the car.
The practice of developing LRT systems in the world has shown that lines without single-level intersections are an exception to the rule: in total, in cities around the world there are more than 450 lines with tram rolling stock (of which more than 100 were built in the last 20 years); Of this number, only 7 lines (including 6 new ones) do not have intersections at the same level: this is the U6 metro line in Vienna, the Green LRT line in Los Angeles, the light rail line in Krivoy Rog, the LRT line in Manila, the Red LRT line Guadalajara and the Seville metro line opened in 2009.
Unfortunately, SNiP 2.05.09-90, which treats the “high-speed tram” as an isolated system, has not been updated since 1990 and does not take into account the international experience in the development of LRT systems over the past 20 years, which has slowed down the development of this flexible technology in Russia: there is no necessary element between “fully isolated” and “street” transport systems.
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1. The practice of developing public transport systems in the world shows that three groups of routes for the movement of urban passenger transport can be distinguished according to the degree of isolation from traffic flows: 1) sections of the route without single-level intersections (metropolitan, including the movement of rolling stock of any type); 2) sections of the route in common traffic flow (traditional tram, bus, trolleybus); 3) sections of the route on a roadway separated from vehicles, ensuring, if possible, priority at intersections (separate tram tracks, dedicated bus and trolleybus lanes with the exception of vehicle traffic). In the USA, in addition, for the movement of buses in express mode (without stops, as a rule, on suburban and intercity services), carpool lanes are used (priority lanes on highways for cars with several passengers).
2. The technology of light rail transport (LRT) is widely developing in the world, combining sections on a separate (3) and isolated (1) track, and also, as an exception, on a track combined with motor transport (2). In this regard, the term “high-speed tram” (as defined by SNiP 2.05.09-90) has lost its relevance: instead of isolated “high-speed” lines, it is necessary, on the basis of the existing tram, to develop a network of lines separate from vehicles with separate high-speed inserts. The organization of line crossings at different levels should be determined individually for each intersection, depending only on the forecast traffic intensity on intersecting traffic flows. The main criterion for the quality of communication should remain the speed of communication, determined in the project taking into account the time spent on stops and intersections.
3. For Russian cities where new metro systems are being built, the use of low-floor tram rolling stock on newly constructed lines is relevant. This will make it possible to combine the metro sections under construction with the citywide tram network and create a unified rail transport system based on LRT principles, ensuring wide coverage of the urban area by rail transport at high speeds.