Moscow region officials plan to start the construction of a so-called 'light' overground metro in the region next year, governor Andrey Vorobyov told the press on Friday, January 23.

      "We are currently at the beginning of a long journey, and we want to start the construction of the first line already in 2016. Our plans can be revised, but we have a clear plan, the understanding of the project and people's request for convenient public transportation," Vorobyov said.

      The light metro is estimated to have a capacity of between 10,000 and 20,000 passengers per hour. The first constcructed line will through Khimki, a town in Moscow's suburbs.

      The preliminary cost of building a conventional underground subway stands at about 4.5-5 billion rubles per kilometer (about $70 million USD), while the construction of a light metro will cost 1 billion rubles for 1 kilometer (about $15 million USD).