Welcome to BAKU! This page created on March 13, 1996. Last updated on October 14, 2000.

The Baku Subway in Azerbaijan is one of the oldest in the USSR. Opened in 1967, it became notorious throughout the world on October 29, 1995, when underground fire killed 300 and injured 270 passengers.

This page has been prepared with the help of Anar Mehdiev.

The History

	The first project of the Baku Metro was prepared in the 30's. However, the prospecting works were started only in 1949, and construction began in early 60th. The project provided connection of the center, western and eastern residential areas, and industrial areas.
"Baki Soveti" (ground vestibule)

Initially, the only transfer station "28 Aprel" served all directions. (The lines intersected in one level.) In the beginning of the 70s, the second transfer station was planned to be built, but the metro constructors were recalled to build tunnels at the Baikal-Amur railway (BAM). Until 1986, the trains operated between "Neftciler" and "Baki Soveti", and between "Shaumyan" and "Nizami". After the completion of the second line, route "Neftciler"-"Shaumyan" was closed, and instead new routes "Memar Ecemi"-"Neftciler" and "Memar Ecemi"-"Shaumyan" were introduced. Station "Shaumyan" was closed in 1989 pending the construction of the long-awaited transfer station "Cefer Cabarli" which was supposed to handle the traffic from "Memar Ecemi" to "Shaumyan". In 1993, a connecting 0.5-km line was opened from "Hetai" to "Cefer Cabarli". However, the construction of segment "Nizami"-"Cefer Cabarli" has never been completed. It is also unknown to the author of this site what is the current condition of the "Hetai"-"28 Aprel" line. There are some rumours that both station "Hetai" and the tunnel are single-track.
	"Memar Ecemi" and "Elmler Akademiyasi"
	"Hetai" and "Narimanov"

Segment "Neftciler"-"Azi Aslanov" must have been completed in mid-80's. However, certain problems with underground waters and rocks delayed the construction. Recent rumours say that "Azi Aslanov" may be opened in a year and a half. It is now 60-70% complete. The construction of "Memar Ecemi"-"Inglab" segment has been in progress since late 1988. The service was scheduled to begin in 1996, later delayed till 1997 and 1999. Finally, the tunnels have been partially dug, but everything has been abandoned. By the way, in the expectance of the extentionof the line, the second track at "Baki Soveti" has not been layed out, and trains operate on only one track.

In 2000, EBRD provided 3 mln. euro to complete the construction of Azi Aslanov station. Mr. Tagi Ahmedov, director, Baku Subway, says $140 mln are necessary to continue the construction of the 4.5km long northern segment of the subway (three stations and the depot).

Renamed Stations

The Today and the Future

The extent of the Baku Metro is 28,5 km. The number of stations - 19. The number of cars - 180 (only 90 of the are operational); cars are series EZh (built in 1974-78) and series 81-717 (built in 1988). In 1994, the Metro carried 106 million passengers a year.
	"Nizami" Station

Since 1992, passengers pay fares using tokens. Till mid-90's the tokens were metallic (yellow but not from copper!), then blue plastic was used. On July 1, 2000, blue tokens were replaced by red tokens, but the fares were not increased. One-way trip fare is 250 manats, and it has not been changed for 5 years.

Officially, the Metro is open from 6 A.M. to 1 A.M., but some stations get closed at 12:30 A.M. On the "rush hour", trains depart every 1 minute to 6 minutes, on other hours -- every 4 to 15 minutes. This happens because of the lack of rolling stock, and also because consists go from "Baki Soveti" and "Memar Ecemi" to "Ehmedli", and from "Baki Soveti" to "Bakmil", so they have to spend a lot of time waiting for each other in the tunnels between "28 May" and "Neriman Nerimanov". Since 1993, there is one shuttle traing going back and forth between "Hetai" É "Cefer Cabarli".

The only train maintenance facility (depot) is located behind the only surface station, "Bakmil", opened in 1979. The gate between the Metro and the railway is at "Bakmil", too. The construction of the second depot began in 1989, together with the construction of the northern portion of the third Metro stage, but the project came to a stall in 2-3 years.	"Inshaatchylyar"
The stations of the Baku Metro are designed to work with five-car trains (100 m length). Till early 80's, there were only three cars per train, then four, and starting of mid-80's, five. The Metro is very busy and crowded.

The Table shows some major characteristics of the Baku Subway for the recent 30 years: