Kharkiv Metro

It is the oldest and the longest line in the Kharkiv Metro with the highest ridership rates and shortest time intervals. Its color is red.

The line was built along the so-called 'central axis' of the city roughly crossing it from East to West. The line serves Moskovsky Prospekt, a street where one of ex-USSR biggest enterprises was located (often called the 'alley of industrial giants'), important transport hubs, the city's main stadium, etc. It replaced, partially or completely, the tram and trolleybus lines with the highest passenger ridership at the time of its construction. Although the ridership pattern has changed considerably since then, the line remains the most important route for passenger transportation in the city.

Kholodnohirsko-Zavodska Line starts in the heavily industrialized area, colloquially referred to as Kharkiv Tractor Plant and follows along Moskovsky Prospekt for six stations (from Industrialna to Turboatom), connecting the city's largest enterprises and the residential areas located nearby. Then, it continues through Zavod Imeni Malysheva, one more heavily industrialized area, and arrives at the Sportyvna station, where it is possible to change for Metrobudivnykiv of Oleksiivska line. The station also provides access to the central stadium of Kharkiv, Metalist. After that, the line follows through Prospekt Haharina, a very important transport hub located near the city center, and runs through the 'old' (historical) center for two stations, Maidan Konstytutsii and Tsentralnyi Rynok. Then, it passes through two more large transport hubs, the city's main railway station at Pivdennyi Vokzal, and a large terminal for suburban buses at Kholodna Hora.

Out of the 13 stations composing the line, three are laid deep (Maidan Konstytutsii, Pivdennyi Vokzal and Kholodna Hora); all the others are laid shallow. The line is served by depot TCh-1 Moskovske with Kharkiv's oldest vehicles of type Ezh3, Em-508T, a few trains composed of newer 81-717/714 vehicles and five recently modernized trains 81-710.1.

The intervals are 11⁄2–2 minutes during rush hours, 3–5 minutes in-between, and extend up to 15 minutes after 9 pm. During the summer vacation season (June–August), intervals can be bigger.

All trains operate the whole length of the line, from Industrialna to Kholodna Hora, except for short trips from Kholodna Hora to Turboatom and from Turboatom to Industrialna. Such trips are usually made around 2-3 p.m. and late in the evening to replace trains on the line or withdraw them to the depot for the night service period, as access is available only through the Turboatom station.

New electric train 81-7036/7037 at Kyivska station

Saltivska Line is historically the second line of the Kharkiv Metro. Although Oleksiivska Line has surpassed it in terms of line length, Saltivska Line remains second in terms of ridership rates and service frequency. Its color is blue.

The line cuts Kharkiv roughly along the northeast-southwest axis starting in the city center and ending in the Saltivka neighborhood in the North-East. The first plans for constructing the line appeared in the mid-1970s when the city started developing high-rise residential housing on the Saltivske Plateau, a large and flat area near the northeast boundaries of the city. The area was to become the largest residential neighborhood in Europe at the time of its construction, however, it was supposed to be located far from main points of passenger attraction, such as industrial areas, transport hubs, leisure facilities and the like. Thus, the need for a strong link between the neighborhood and other parts of the city became evident.

The construction of the line was performed simultaneously with the development of Saltivka, which helped cut the cost of construction considerably. The section from Akademika Barabashova to Heroiv Pratsi was constructed using the cut-and-cover method for tunnels, which is the cheapest one. The stations located on the line are acclaimed for their concise, yet unique and attractive design. The line also features Kharkiv Metro's only metro bridge.

Initially, it was planned to fork the line at Akademika Barabashova station so that there would be two branches, one of them passing Saltivka from south to north (which is currently in operation) and the other one passing the neighborhood from west to east. According to initial plans, half of the trains arriving from the city center would then follow the south-north branch and the other half would follow the west-east one, alternating in sequence. The south-north branch was never constructed due to financial difficulties and is currently substituted by route 24 of the Kharkiv Trolleybus.

Saltivska Line starts in the "old" (historical) center of the city at station Istorychnyi Muzei which also provides a transfer to Maidan Konstytutsii of Kholodnohirsko-Zavodska Line. After leaving the station, the line follows a long and steep ascend to the Universytet station located in the heart of the "new" (business) center, under one of the largest squares in Europe, Svobody Square. It provides a transfer to Derzhprom station on Oleksiivska Line. Then, the line passes one more station in the city center, Pushkinska, and performs a steep dive into the city's lowest part, Zhuravlivka. After a short visit to Zhuravlivka at Kyivska, the line crosses the Kharkiv River via the metro bridge and enters the Saltivka neighborhood. The rest of the stations, from Akademika Barabashova to Heroiv Pratsi are located within the neighborhood, laid approximately at the same (shallow) depth.

The line is characterized by a severe increase in ridership during rush hours and the strong influence of Barabashovo Market, which claims to be the largest market in Europe (located near Akademika Barabashova station, which gave the market its name). The market operates from roughly 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., increasing the passenger traffic considerably during the morning rush hours, especially on Wednesday, traditionally the discounts day. The traffic on the line also has a distinct student ridership pattern: most of Kharkiv's higher educational establishments are located around Istorychnyi Muzei, Universytet, and Pushkinska stations, but the respective student dormitories are located near Studentska station. Heroiv Pratsi is an important transport hub providing connections to the city's most important tram routes and serving a bus station for suburban routes.

Out of the 8 stations on the line, three are laid deep (Istorychnyi Muzei, Universytet, and Pushkinska); all the others are laid shallow. Pushkinska is the deepest station in the system at 30 meters (98 ft) underground. The line is served by depot TCh-2 Saltivske with vehicles of types 81-717/714 and the only train set of 81-7036/7037. Access to the depot is provided via Akademika Barabashova station.

The intervals are 3–5 minutes during rush hours, 5–6 minutes in-between, and extend up to 20 minutes after 9 pm. During the summer vacation season (June–August), intervals can be bigger.

All trains operate the whole length of the line, from Istorychnyi Muzei to Heroiv Pratsi. Starting from 2001, because of power supply issues, every fourth train that operated on the line between rush hours served only the Istorychnyi Muzei - Akademika Barabashova segment. The practice was abandoned by the end of 2002 when the power supply normalized.

The project of the metro station "Odeska"

Oleksiivska line is historically the third line in the system and the second longest line in the Metro. The line does not have an individual depot; it is served by the same depot which serves the Holodnohirsko-Zavodska line, though a new depot for the line is under construction. In August 2016, the Peremoha station became the first Kharkiv Metro station with disabled access.

The line is supposed to have a similar route to the tram route 26. Construction of the line is scheduled to start after the opening of the Derzhavynska and Oddeska stations on the Oleksiivska line.