Overview
The Yekaterinburg Metro (Russian: Екатеринбургский метрополитен, romanized: Jekaterinburgskij metropoliten) is the rapid transit system serving Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city and the capital of Sverdlovsk Oblast. It opened on 26 April 1991 as the thirteenth and last metro system inaugurated in the Soviet Union, which ceased to exist only months later.
For a visitor, the system is refreshingly simple to use end to end. It consists of a single line running roughly north to south along the city's main axis, with nine stations and no branches or junctions, so you cannot board in the wrong direction for long — just check which terminus you are heading toward. End-to-end travel takes about 19 minutes. Stations are open daily from 06:00 to midnight, with trains every 4–5 minutes in weekday rush hour and roughly 6–11 minutes at other times and on weekends. The stations themselves are a highlight: like all ex-Soviet metros they are elaborately decorated, with native Ural stones, granite and marble, and several are built deep underground.
The network
Metro
The Yekaterinburg Metro is a heavy metro on Russian gauge (1,524 mm), operated by МКУ «Екатеринбургский метрополитен». The single line stretches 12.7 kilometres (7.9 mi) and serves nine stations, from north to south:
- Prospekt Kosmonavtov (Проспект Космонавтов) — northern terminal, in an industrial and residential district.
- Uralmash (Уралмаш) — named for the Uralmash heavy machinery complex.
- Mashinostroiteley (Машиностроителей) — "machinery builders".
- Uralskaya (Уральская) — the key intermodal hub, serving the Central Railway station (Yekaterinburg-Passazhirsky) and the Northern Bus Station.
- Dinamo (Динамо) — near Dynamo sports complex, the city pond promenade, the Church on the Blood and the Literary Quarter.
- Ploshchad 1905 Goda (Площадь 1905 года) — the downtown station, by 1905 Square next to City Hall, with access to the main commercial avenues, hotels and restaurants.
- Geologicheskaya (Геологическая) — near the Circus, universities and the arboretum.
- Chkalovskaya (Чкаловская) — 43 m deep, with an air-terminal-themed design; serves the Southern Bus Station.
- Botanicheskaya (Ботаническая) — southern terminal, in the Botanical district.
Note that Bazhovskaya, a station on the original alignment between Geologicheskaya and Chkalovskaya, was built but never opened; its opening has been postponed indefinitely. Plans for a second, east–west line have long been discussed but not realised.
Tram and light rail
Yekaterinburg has the densest tram network in Russia. You pay by contactless bank card or in cash to the conductor on board. For route information, locals use the Yandex or 2GIS apps.
Suburban rail
Several suburban train lines serve the city and the wider Sverdlovsk Oblast, and one of them — the city electric train line — crosses Yekaterinburg from the north-west through the centre to the south. Commonly used stops include Pervomayskaya (ОП Первомайская), Shartash (ст. Шарташ), Ploschadka VIZ (ОП ВИЗ), Yekaterinburg-Sortirovochnyy (ст. Екатеринбург-Сортировочный), Lesotekhnicheskaya (ОП Лесотехническая), Botanicheskaya (ОП Ботаническая), Uktus (Уктус) and Vtorchermet (Вторчермет). All Trans-Siberian trains stop at the Central Railway station, and there is an extensive network of local trains across the region.
Buses
Buses and marshrutka minibuses fill in the gaps the metro does not reach. The Northern Bus Station (Северный автовокзал) sits next to the Central Railway station near the Uralskaya metro stop, while the Southern Bus Station (Южный автовокзал) is at the Chkalovskaya metro stop.
Ferries
The available sources do not describe a scheduled public ferry service in Yekaterinburg, so plan your journeys around the metro, tram, bus and suburban rail networks instead.
Tickets & fares
The metro is popular with locals because it is quick and inexpensive. A standard single metro fare is 42 rubles (as of 1 November 2025); earlier sources quote 32 rubles, which shows how fares rise over time. Treat any figure here as approximate and subject to change — always check the current price on the operator's official site or at the station before you travel.
Payment options on the metro include:
- The EKARTA smartcard — the city's rechargeable transit card.
- Contactless bank cards, tapped directly at the gate.
- QR tickets.
- Biometric payment systems.
On trams, you pay by contactless bank card or in cash to the conductor. The sources do not detail zone structures, day passes or dedicated tourist passes for Yekaterinburg, so if you plan several journeys a day, ask at a station kiosk or check the operator's website for the current range of passes and their validity.
From the airport
Koltsovo International Airport (аэропорт Кольцово, SVX) lies 18 km southeast of downtown and handles around 4.3 million passengers a year; it is the base of Ural Airlines. There is no direct metro connection to the airport. Your public-transport options are:
- Bus #65, which runs roughly every 15 minutes and takes about 50 minutes to the centre.
- The Koltsovo Express suburban train (ОП Аэропорт «Кольцово»), an express service to and from the airport that runs twice per day.
- A taxi, which costs around 500 rubles to or from the centre and takes about 25 minutes.
If you prefer to combine the metro with a bus, note that the metro's southern terminal, Botanicheskaya, is the station most often cited as the transfer point for airport buses.
Etiquette & customs
Yekaterinburg's metro follows the familiar customs of ex-Soviet systems, and a little awareness goes a long way:
- On escalators, stand on the right and keep the left side clear for people walking past.
- Let passengers off the train before you board, and join the queue rather than crowding the doors.
- Give up priority seats — the ones near the doors — to the elderly, pregnant women and passengers with small children.
- Keep conversations quiet, especially in the deep stations where sound carries.
- Eating and drinking are not part of metro culture; save your snack for the surface.
- At rush hour, move right down the middle of the car rather than blocking the doors, and have your card or ticket ready before you reach the gate.
Official links
Survival terms
- метро (metro) — subway/metro
- билет (bilet) — ticket
- линия (liniya) — line
- вход (vkhod) — entrance
- выход (vykhod) — exit
- пересадка (peresadka) — transfer
- поездка (poyezdka) — single fare/journey
- проездной на день (proyezdnoy na den) — day pass
Before you set out, check the operator's official site for the current fare and opening times, since prices and schedules change and the figures here are only a guide.