In September 2026, the Nizhny Novgorod administration put forward for public discussion a draft of amendments to the city's master plan that provide for including the route of the Sormovo-Meschera line of Metro, extended to the planned Volga station.[1] The discussions were initiated by City Hall.[2]

Background

Volga station was to be built in the Meschera Lake microdistrict on Proletarskaya Street, tied to the transport scheme of the Kirov direction and the bridge across the Volga; extending the line to the Burnakovsky microdistrict was also considered.[2] The construction of this station was first discussed during preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but the line was ultimately extended only as far as Strelka station.[3] According to one source, the project received a positive opinion from Glavgosekspertiza (the state expert review authority) in 2014;[2] according to another, in late 2018.[4]

In 2023, the Municipal Institution "GUMMiD" reported that no active construction of the station was planned: the 2018–2030 program for developing Nizhny Novgorod's transport infrastructure did not provide for such work. The extension of the Sormovsko-Meshchera Line to Volga Station is provided for by the city's 2019–2030 comprehensive transport infrastructure development program; the authorities explained the amendments to the general plan by the need to "update the scheme of off-street passenger transport."[5][4] In 2022, city residents named the Meschera direction among the priorities; this position was shared by Alexander Ivanov, an associate professor at the UNESCO Chair of NNGASU.[3]

2026 Public Hearings

The draft amendments to the urban planning documentation were put up for public hearings, which took place from September 25 to October 5, 2026.[3] The amendments provided for including in the general plan both the existing Sormovsko-Meshchera Line and its planned extension to Volga Station. According to the draft submitted for discussion, the line is to run from Strelka Station, skirting Meschera Lake on its southern side, and then continue under Karl Marx Street; Volga Station was proposed to be located near the traffic circle on Sergey Akimov Street, on the approach to the Borsky Bridge. Earlier, the station had been planned near building No. 7A on Karl Marx Street; participants in the hearings criticized the relocation, pointing out that the new site is on the outskirts of the microdistrict by the railway and is less convenient for most residents.

One of the participants in the hearings proposed an alternative: to place Volga Station at the intersection of Karl Marx and Proletarskaya Streets (buildings No. 18–20), with the subway exits located near the Borsky traffic circle and the park area of Meschera Lake, to reach the largest possible share of the population.[6][4] According to the publication OpenNov, the legal designation of the transport corridor lays groundwork for urban planning over the long term, since it makes it possible to reserve land for future development even in the absence of funding in the current program. Following the hearings, the organizing commission declared them valid; the results are advisory in nature. Eight people took part in the hearings.[5] City Hall described the construction of Volga Station as "not a matter of the immediate future."[6][1][4]

Context of the Subway's Development

In parallel, the Sormovo–Meshchera Line is being actively developed in the opposite direction — toward the future Sormovskaya station in the center of Sormovo. The opening of Sormovskaya, originally scheduled for 2026, has been postponed to the end of 2029; the design work is being carried out by "Mosproekt-3". On Stantsionnaya Street, the demolition of garages to clear the construction site continues, the decision has been made to abandon the intermediate stop "Varya", and the metro depot is planned for the Burnakovskaya Lowland.[3][2] The current master plan also provides for extending the metro to Verkhniye Pechyory and Ankudinovsky Park.[2]

Sources

  1. Open Nizhny — Volga metro station in Nizhny Novgorod to be included in urban planning documents
  2. GIPERNN — Authorities want to show the "Volga" metro station in the Nizhny Novgorod master plan
  3. Govorit Nizhny — Project for the "Volga" metro station is being returned to the Nizhny Novgorod master plan
  4. Newsroom24 — The "Volga" metro station may be added to the Nizhny Novgorod master plan — Transport
  5. NN.RU — Following the public hearings, the Nizhny Novgorod administration deemed them to have taken place; eight people took part in the discussions.
  6. GIPERNN — According to the project put forward for discussion, the line is to run from the "Strelka" station, skirting Lake Meshchera from the south, and then continue under Karl Marx Street