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| Moscow Metro 81-717/714 | |
|---|---|
| Name | 81-717/714 |
| Caption | 81-717/714 train at Kievskaya |
| Service | 1976–present |
| Manufacturer | Metrovagonmash; Izhora Plant |
| Constructed | 1976–1998 |
| Numberbuilt | approx. 2,700 cars |
| Formation | motor car + trailer (e.g., 6–8 car sets) |
| Depots | various across former Soviet Union |
| Lines | lines of Moscow Metro, St. Petersburg Metro, Baku Metro, Budapest Metro, Prague Metro, Sofia Metro |
| Carlength | 19.6 m |
| Width | 2.7 m |
| Height | 3.68 m |
| Maxspeed | 100 km/h |
| Traction | resistor control (early), chopper/thyristor (later) |
| Gauge | 1,520 mm |
| Doors | 8 per side |
Moscow Metro 81-717/714 is a family of Soviet-designed metro cars introduced in the mid-1970s that became a backbone for rapid transit fleets across the Soviet Union and former Eastern Bloc. Designed for deep-level and surface services, these cars combined high passenger capacity with rugged components suitable for climates from Moscow to Tashkent and Yerevan. The design influenced rolling stock procurement for decades and remains in service, refurbished or rebuilt, in multiple cities and preservation collections.
The 81-717/714 family was engineered with a welded steel body derived from earlier projects at Metrowagonmash and production techniques developed at the Izhora Plant and Mytishchi factories. Each motor car uses a Bo′Bo′ bogie arrangement inspired by designs from MÁV and influenced by technical exchange with ČKD era practices; the trailer car complements the set with unpowered Jacobs-style coupling variants used elsewhere in the network. The cars measure about 19.6 metres in length and 2.7 metres in width, matching loading gauge standards applied in projects overseen by planners from Serpukhovskaya Line expansions and adaptation for transfer into fleets of Leninets depot and other maintenance facilities. Early propulsion used rheostatic resistor control with traction motors similar to those specified for rolling stock supplied to Prague Metro; later batches introduced chopper and thyristor regulation following developments at Sovtransavto-era industrial research institutes.
Passenger access is provided by eight sliding doors per side; interior fittings reflect ergonomic guidelines from committees linked to Gosstroy and municipal authorities in Moscow Oblast and Leningrad Oblast. Electrical systems operate on 825 V DC third-rail supply compatible with networks installed during major expansion phases associated with the Moscow 1970s metro project and subsequent modernization campaigns tied to events such as preparations for the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Initial design work was conducted by teams at Metrovagonmash, with prototypes tested at proving loops adjacent to facilities in Tula and industrial validation coordinated with experts from Institute of Transport Construction. Mass production commenced in 1976, coordinated with centralized procurement managed through ministries that also oversaw rolling stock for Yerevan Metro and Baku Metro. The manufacturing run extended into the 1990s, with final batches produced to supply networks in Budapest and Belgrade as railways in the former Eastern Bloc adopted Soviet rolling stock or locally built licensed versions. Production used standardized components from suppliers including electrical equipment from plants in Sverdlovsk and bogie frames cast in foundries near Nizhny Tagil.
Upgrades and mid-life overhauls were carried out in depots associated with organizations such as Moskovsky Metrostroy and municipal workshops tied to the Moscow City Hall transport department, often integrating braking systems and control electronics developed by research bureaus linked to MAMI.
Numerous variants were produced to suit different loading gauges and climate conditions: cold-adapted sets for Novosibirsk and hot-climate adaptations for Tashkent. Special subvariants included intercity-modified cars for use on extended suburban sections, trains equipped with improved ventilation and air conditioning retrofits tested during cooperation with firms from Budapest and Prague. Modernization programs created rebuilt units branded under local project names in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Sofia, incorporating asynchronous traction drives, new cab ergonomics influenced by designs used on 81-720/721 series prototypes, and passenger information systems developed by technology vendors with ties to RZD procurement channels.
Export and licensed builds appeared in fleets of Budapest Metro (M4-era alignments) and retrofitted sets supplied to regional metros such as Kharkiv Metro and Dnipropetrovsk Metro during the late Soviet and early post-Soviet transitions.
Introduced into revenue service in 1976, these cars rapidly replaced aging fleets on many radial and circular lines of Moscow Metro as part of network expansions that included new stations like those on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line. They also formed the core rolling stock for second-generation fleets in St. Petersburg Metro and were a common sight in Tbilisi and Yerevan during the 1980s. Operational deployments adapted to maintenance regimes developed at depots named after notable Soviet engineers and political figures, and schedules aligned with passenger flows for major transport hubs such as Kursky Rail Terminal and Leningradsky Rail Terminal. Refurbishment programs in the 1990s and 2000s sought to extend service life, with some units remaining in daily service into the 2020s.
Over decades of service, some sets were involved in collisions, tunnel fires, and derailments investigated by committees including officials from the Ministry of Transport and municipal transit oversight bodies. Notable incidents prompted safety reviews and changes to emergency ventilation and electrical protection standards referenced in procedural updates issued after inquiries involving stations like those on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line and responses coordinated with emergency services headquartered near Moscow City Center.
Several examples have been preserved in transport museums and heritage fleets managed by organizations such as the Central Museum of Railway Transport and private preservation groups in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The 81-717/714 family features in documentary films about Soviet infrastructure, appears in photography collections alongside stations like Komsomolskaya, and figures in urban studies of post-war modernization. Its design legacy influenced later Russian stock and remains a subject in restoration efforts led by enthusiasts connected to institutions like Russian Railways and metropolitan cultural heritage departments.
Category:Rolling stock