Kursky Railway Terminal is one of Moscow’s busiest stations, on Zemlyanoy Val just outside the Garden Ring in the Basmanny district. Opened in 1896, it serves trains in two nearly opposite directions: south toward Kursk and southern Russia, and east toward Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod, including the high-speed Lastochka service.
The terminal also has suburban platforms for towns such as Tula and Vladimir, stops on lines D2 and D4 of the Moscow Central Diameters, and three Metro stations beside it. It is easy to get to the center from here, but the building and the connections are large and the signs are in Russian. Timetables and ticket rules change, so check the official sources before you travel.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Курский вокзал |
|---|---|
| Type | Railway station |
| Built / opened | 1896 |
| Architect(s) | N. P. Orlov (original station); Georgy Voloshinov (1972 reconstruction) |
| Address | Zemlyanoy Val 29, Kursky Station Square, Moscow (ул. Земляной Вал, 29) OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Basmanny |
| Metro | Kurskaya (Koltsevaya Line (Line 5, brown), A large underground lobby links the Circle Line station with the terminal; exact exits and walking times were not verified) Kurskaya (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line (Line 3, dark blue), Linked to the Circle Line station by a vestibule; exits and walking times were not verified) Chkalovskaya (Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya Line (Line 10, light green), Reached through a shared underground vestibule on the Zemlyanoy Val side; exits and walking times were not verified) |
| Opening hours | Trains run daily, and the ticket offices and services inside have their own hours. Check the timetable for your train (as of October 2026 – check the official site). |
| Admission | Entering the station is free. Tickets are needed for long-distance and suburban trains. |
| Best time to visit | The terminal is busiest at the morning and evening rush hours and on weekends and holidays. For a calm visit, go mid-morning or early afternoon on a weekday. Crowd patterns were not verified. |
| Recommended duration | 20 to 30 minutes to see the station and its Metro lobby; longer if you are changing trains. |
| Website | rzd.ru |
| Last updated | October 7, 2026 |
How to Get to and from Kursky Railway Terminal
| Option | Duration | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro, Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line (dark blue, Line 3) from Kurskaya | About 10 to 15 minutes to central stations such as Ploshchad Revolyutsii; times not verified | Standard Metro fare; see the How to buy a Moscow Metro ticket guide | Best for central Moscow, the Bolshoi Theatre and Red Square. Trains run from early morning to after midnight. |
| Metro, Koltsevaya Line (brown, Line 5) from Kurskaya | Varies by destination | Standard Metro fare | Best for reaching other railway stations along the Circle Line, such as Komsomolskaya, Paveletskaya and Belorusskaya. |
| Metro, Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya Line (light green, Line 10) from Chkalovskaya | Varies by destination | Standard Metro fare | Best for crossing the center north-south, for example to Sretensky Bulvar. Follow the Chkalovskaya signs in the underground lobby. |
| MCD lines D2 and D4 | Varies by destination | Standard city fare; see the guide on the MCD | Suburban-style trains that cross the center, best for reaching stations along the lines. See the How to use the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) guide. |
| Taxi | Depends on traffic | Check the app for the fare | Use a taxi app and the official pick-up point rather than offers from touts in the hall. See the How to use taxi apps in Moscow guide. |
Why Visit Kursky Railway Terminal?
Kursky is the starting point for several of the most useful trips out of Moscow, including Vladimir and Suzdal and Tula, and it is directly connected to three Metro stations on three lines, so it works as a transfer hub as well as a departure point. It has 17 platform tracks, as recorded in a transport data source, and the biggest concourse of the central stations.
For a short visit, the interesting part is underground: the Circle Line Kurskaya station has a large circular lobby with a bronze sculpture of wheat, a nod to the black-earth region around Kursk. The building above is a modern reconstruction, so it is the transport connections, not the architecture, that make this station worth knowing.
Highlights of Kursky Railway Terminal
The Circle Line lobby with the wheat sculpture
The Kurskaya Circle Line station serves both the ring and the radial stations and has a large circular underground lobby, in the center of which stands a bronze sculpture of wheat, a reference to Kursk as the heart of Russia's black-earth region. The lobby is linked to the old 1938 vestibule of the dark blue line. See the How to see the most beautiful Moscow Metro stations in one route guide on this site.
Tip: Look for the bronze wheat sculpture in the middle of the round lobby.
The station building and concourse
The first station here was opened in 1896 under the architect N. P. Orlov, as the Kursko-Nizhegorodsky Station, and the building was reconstructed in 1972 by Georgy Voloshinov, giving it the modern concourse seen today. The ticket halls and the long-distance and suburban areas are spread across several levels. The Atrium shopping center stands just behind the station and is not part of it.
Tip: Find the departures board for your direction before you look for the ticket office.
Lastochka trains to Nizhny Novgorod
The Lastochka high-speed trains to Nizhny Novgorod leave from this station, along with other services on the same line, and the route is the main reason travelers use the eastern side of the terminal. The Nizhny Novgorod end of the line is at the Moskovsky terminal there. Check the timetable and the ticket category for the service.
Tip: Allow time to find the right platform, since the long-distance platforms are separate from the suburban ones.
Suburban platforms for Tula and Vladimir
Suburban trains in the direction of Kursk, such as to Tula, and in the direction of Nizhny Novgorod, such as to Vladimir, leave from the suburban part of the terminal. They are the way to two classic day trips. See the How to get from Moscow to Tula guide and the How to get from Moscow to Vladimir and Suzdal guide on this site.
Tip: Use the suburban ticket machines or the app for the shorter journeys.
MCD lines D2 and D4
Kursky is a stop on lines D2 and D4 of the Moscow Central Diameters, which run through the center and reach suburbs on both sides of the city, with an interchange to the Metro. The platforms for these lines are among the suburban ones. See the How to use the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) guide on this site.
Tip: Check the line number (D2 or D4) on the board, since both stop here.
Chkalovskaya and the Zemlyanoy Val side
Chkalovskaya Metro station, opened in 1995, is reached from a shared underground vestibule that also links to the Circle Line station, with an escalator up to Zemlyanoy Val. It is the way to the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line, which runs north-south across the center. The Zemlyanoy Val entrance is also the way to the Garden Ring.
Tip: Follow the signs for Chkalovskaya rather than Kurskaya if you want the light-green line.
Atmosphere
The station is busy from early morning, with commuters from the eastern and southern suburbs crossing the concourse alongside long-distance travelers with big bags. Announcements echo off the hard floors, and the departures boards draw clusters of people checking platform numbers.
Underground, the Circle Line lobby is a calmer, round space, and outside, Zemlyanoy Val is a loud traffic artery. After dark, the area is lit and quieter, apart from the stream of people heading for late trains. The station is busiest at the morning and evening rush hours and at weekends.
History of Kursky Railway Terminal
The first Kursky station was opened in 1896 and was known as the Kursko-Nizhegorodsky Station, because it served trains to Kursk and to Nizhny Novgorod, and it still serves both directions. It was built under the guidance of the architect N. P. Orlov on the edge of the city, just outside the Garden Ring.
The station building was reconstructed in 1972 to a design by Georgy Voloshinov, which gave it the modern concourse of today. Behind it, the Atrium shopping center was built in later years, so the station is now closely linked with a commercial complex.
The Metro came to the station in stages. The Kurskaya station of the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line opened on 13 March 1938, and the Circle Line station of the same name was built beside the terminal, with a large circular underground lobby containing a bronze sculpture of wheat. The second entrance of the Circle Line station on Zemlyanoy Val, opened in December 1995, is a shared underground vestibule that also links to Chkalovskaya on the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line, which opened on 28 December 1995.
Today Kursky serves long-distance trains in several directions, including south toward Kursk and beyond, and east toward Nizhny Novgorod, where the high-speed Lastochka service runs, as well as suburban trains toward Tula and Vladimir. It is also a stop on lines D2 and D4 of the Moscow Central Diameters, and its 17 platform tracks make it one of the largest stations in the city.
The destinations served from the terminal have changed with the timetable and political situation over the years, so the official schedule of the railway operator is the only reliable list of current services.
Tickets and Payment at Kursky Railway Terminal
Tickets for long-distance and suburban trains are sold by the railway operator, on its official website and app and at the station ticket offices. Sales usually open weeks to a few months before departure, and if your date is not yet on sale, the timetable has not been released. Show your ID at boarding for long-distance trains, and check the official sources for any rules that depend on nationality.
- Metro and MCD: pay the city fare at the turnstiles; see the guides on buying a Metro ticket and on the MCD.
- Payment: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, so check the payment options on the official sites, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.
- Taxis: avoid unofficial drivers who approach you in the hall and use a taxi app.
Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ, so check the official site, rzd.ru, for all ticket categories.
Flights, Transfers and Planning
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How to Get to Kursky Railway Terminal
The terminal is at Zemlyanoy Val 29 on Kursky Station Square, beside Kurskaya Metro station: the brown Koltsevaya Line (Line 5) and the dark-blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line (Line 3). The light-green Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya Line (Line 10) has Chkalovskaya station, reached through a shared underground vestibule. Exits and walking times were not verified.
- Tram and bus: several tram and bus lines stop beside the station.
- Taxi: use a taxi app and the official pick-up point.
Accessibility
No official accessibility details were found. The terminal is linked by underground lobbies to three Metro stations, but step-free routes and lifts were not verified, so contact the railway operator for assistance before you travel.
Food Nearby
The station has kiosks and cafes inside, and the Atrium shopping center behind it and the streets along Zemlyanoy Val have more cafes and fast-food outlets. No individual venue was verified for this guide, so check opening hours on site.
What to Bring
Your ticket on your phone or a printout, your ID or passport for long-distance trains, a charged phone, and cash in rubles for small purchases, since foreign cards are reported not to work.
Photography Rules
Photography is generally allowed in the public halls and on the square, but security staff may ask you not to photograph checkpoints, officials or equipment. Follow the signs, and avoid drones near railway property.
Family Suitability
The terminal is workable for families, but it is crowded at rush hours, large and spread over several levels, and strollers and luggage need to be planned for on the platforms and in the Metro. Allow extra time to find the right platform.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Check which Kurskaya you need: the brown and dark-blue stations are linked, and the light-green line is at Chkalovskaya.
- Long-distance and suburban platforms are separate, so find your hall before you look for the platform.
- For Vladimir and Suzdal or Tula, use the how-to guides on this site for the trains and tickets.
- The Atrium shopping center behind the station is not part of the terminal, so do not mistake its entrance for the station's.
- Walk through the Circle Line lobby to see the wheat sculpture on your way to the trains.
- See the How to buy train tickets at Moscow railway stations guide on this site for the ticket offices and machines.
Explore Nearby Kursky Railway Terminal
Metro stations near Kursky Railway Terminal
Kurskaya Metro Stationabout 150 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Chkalovskaya Metro Stationabout 250 m away (~4 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Sights near Kursky Railway Terminal
Andrey Rublev Museum Moscowabout 1.1 km away (~18 min walk) · typical visit: About 1.5 to 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Bauman Garden Moscowabout 1.1 km away (~18 min walk) · typical visit: About 1 to 1.5 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Museum of Russian Icons Moscowabout 1.6 km away (~25 min walk) · typical visit: About 1.5 to 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building Moscowabout 1.6 km away (~26 min walk) · typical visit: About 30 minutes to 1 hourMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Moscow Transport Museumabout 1.7 km away (~28 min walk) · typical visit: About 2 to 3 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Train stations and river piers near Kursky Railway Terminal
Kazansky Railway Terminalabout 1.8 km away (~30 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Hotels near Kursky Railway Terminal
Philadelphia Hotel Moscowabout 950 m away (~15 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Guten Duck Moscow Hostelabout 1.3 km away (~21 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Related guides
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Browse more: More in Basmanny · All Airports & Transport · All Railway Stations
FAQ: Kursky Railway Terminal
Where do trains to Nizhny Novgorod leave from?
From Kursky Railway Terminal.
Which Metro stations are there?
Kurskaya on Lines 3 and 5, and Chkalovskaya on Line 10.
Is it on the MCD?
Yes, lines D2 and D4 stop here.
Which day trips start here?
Vladimir and Suzdal and Tula; see the how-to guides.
When did it open?
In 1896; the building was reconstructed in 1972.
Is the Atrium mall part of the station?
No, it is a separate shopping center behind it.
Is there left luggage?
Check the station services; see the How to store luggage in Moscow guide.
Can I pay with a foreign card?
Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, and your country's sanctions rules may restrict some services, so check this yourself.
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Last updated: October 7, 2026.
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