Metro to Get Fold-Away Seats
Published: December 19, 2012 (Issue # 1740)
MOSCOW — Authorities plan to equip new metro wagons with fold-away seats from 2014 to increase passenger capacity during rush hour.
“We are planning to open a tender for a new batch of wagons in the first quarter of 2013 to attract any interested manufacturers, including foreign [companies],” Ivan Besedin, head of the Moscow metro, said Tuesday, Interfax reported.
Besedin said plans to equip new wagons with retractable seating would cater to growing demand for metro travel. The Moscow metro is among the most heavily used metro systems in the world along with those in Tokyo and Seoul.
“Retractable seating will increase available space and create more comfortable conditions for passengers,” he said.
Once rush hour is over, the retractable seats will be automatically lowered at the last station on the line.
Besedin said the plan to install fold-away seats would not limit seating space for disabled passengers.