The St. Petersburg Subway (Underground), called the Metro for "Metropoliten", has 54 stations and operates from 5:30 in the morning to 00:30 (12:30 a.m.). Metro stations are identified by the blue (M) sign. Trains run at intervals of 4-6 minutes, 2-3 minutes during rush hours.

Tokens and Magnet Cards: To enter the metro, you need to place a token or a magnet card in the turnstile, or use a monthly pass. Tokens, called zhetony cost 5 rubles as of November, 2001. Magnet cards are available for 10, 25, or 50 trips.

Monthly Pass: Monthly passes go on sale one week before the beginning of the next month at metro stations and kiosks. They are available for the Metro alone and for above ground transportation alone. There are also half-monthly passes, which can be purchased in the middle of the month. The most convenient one, however, is the one for "all forms of public transport", called, "Unified City Transport Pass" (edinyy bilet).

Transfer Points: (perekhody) close at 00:00 (12:00 a.m.). Watch the time so that you do not get stuck in the middle of the night.

Old and New Stations: While not as elegant as the Moscow Metro, there are many pretty stations in Saint Petersburg including Ploshchad Vosstaniya and Pushkinskaya. Because of the marshy geology, the Saint Petersburg Metro is extremely far underground.

Construction: The Yellow Line No. 4 is being extended from Sennaya Ploshchad to the western part of Petrovskiy Ostrov, Krestovskiy Ostrov and across the Malaya Nevka near Staraya Derevnya. Progress has been slowed by the lack of funds and technical complexity but several stations are scheduled to open in the future.

TYPNote: In 1996 a section of "temporary tunnel" built in 1964 collapsed on the "Red Line" between Lesnaya and Ploshchad Muzhestva. The gap between the two stations is served by free shuttle bus No. 80.