Metro Tram, Kryviy Rih

In Kryvyi Rih the tram dives underground, stops at genuine subterranean stations with vaulted ceilings and escalators — and runs on the left-hand side of the track. Nothing like it exists anywhere else in Ukraine.

This is the Kryvyi Rih metrotram — a tram-metro hybrid that the city built because a «real» metro was off the table by Soviet regulations. The result is a unique transit system that draws visitors who would not normally give public transport a second thought.

Quick Facts

What It Is and Why Visit

A metrotram is a rapid tram that runs underground like a metro on part of its route and on the surface on the rest. Kryvyi Rih’s line has 11 stations, four of which are fully underground with proper concourses and escalators.

People come for the «almost metro» experience in a city that officially has no metro. And for two features found nowhere else in the country: underground stations served by ordinary tram cars, and official left-hand running.

History: The Metro That Was «Not Allowed»

The idea was first floated in 1972. Soviet regulations stipulated that a full metro could only be built in cities of over one million people. Kryvyi Rih, despite stretching dozens of kilometres along ore deposits, had around 700,000 residents — just short of the threshold.

The solution was ingenious: build a «light metro» using tram cars. The first line opened in 1986. Construction was complicated by groundwater that continually flooded the tunnels — ground freezing had to be used, a rare technique for a tram system.

The fourth underground station, Elektrozavodska, was opened in independent Ukraine in 2000.

Across the entire USSR only two cities sent ordinary trams underground instead of metro trains: Kryvyi Rih and Volgograd. Both systems were built to a similar design.

What Makes It Unique

Left-hand running. The Kryvyi Rih metrotram is the only place in Ukraine where left-hand traffic is officially in use. This results from design decisions about platform placement.

Trams underground. The underground stations are served not by metro trains but by tram cars — a sight that takes some getting used to.

Underground stations. With vaulted ceilings, lighting and escalators, they look exactly like a real metro — many visitors simply refuse to believe it is «just» a tram.

What to See

Underground stations. Prospekt Metalurhiv, Budynok Rad, Vechirnii Bulvar and Elektrozavodska — the main goal of the trip.

Full line ride. The simplest way to experience the system is to ride from terminus to terminus, watching the tram plunge underground and re-emerge on the surface.

Getting There and Riding It

To the city. Kryvyi Rih is a major hub in Dnipropetrovsk region, well connected by trains and buses from Dnipro and other cities.

On the metrotram. Board at any station, pay the fare as you would on ordinary city transport, and ride the line. Check the current timetable before you go.

Visitor Checklist

• Small change / card: to pay the fare.
• Camera: the underground stations are photogenic (check photography rules).
• Time to spare: to ride the whole line there and back.
• What NOT to expect: metro-frequency headways — this is still a tram, so services may be less frequent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a metro or a tram?

Officially a rapid tram. But on part of its route it runs underground with stations, so it looks like a light metro.

Why does it run on the left?

Because of design decisions about platform placement. It is the only such system in Ukraine.

How much is the fare?

The same as ordinary city transport in Kryvyi Rih. Best to check the current price on arrival.

How many underground stations are there?

Four out of eleven: Prospekt Metalurhiv, Budynok Rad, Vechirnii Bulvar and Elektrozavodska.

The Kryvyi Rih metrotram is a city that refused to wait for permission and built itself a metro on tram tracks. Go down to an underground station, wait for the car arriving from the wrong direction — and you’ll understand why transit enthusiasts across the country dream of making this trip.