Shocking Connection: Kostroma Will Finally See Direct Trains to Moscow

Kostroma is slated for integration into Moscow's high-speed ground transport network as part of the Central Transport Hub (CTU) development. The city will be a terminal point for the fifth Moscow Central Diameter (MCD-5), establishing a direct rail link between the Kostroma region and the capital via Yaroslavl by 2035. The project is divided into two phases. The first priority, scheduled for completion by 2030, focuses on launching trains with intervals of up to 30 minutes to Kaluga, Tula, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Smolensk and Tver. Kostroma and Ryazan are designated for the second stage of network expansion. The planned MCD-5 route spans multiple regions and cities—extending from Kostroma and Yaroslavl through Sergiev Posad, Pushkino and Moscow to Domodedovo, Kashira and Novomoskovsk in the Tula region. On the preliminary Moscow Metro map, the Kostroma direction is marked in green.