How a Metro Station Becomes a Fortress to Fight Zombies
When civilization collapses and the streets belong to the living dead, where do you go? Forget the cliché shopping mall or countryside bunker the metro station just might be humanity’s best bet for survival. These underground structures can weather the worst man-made disasters, from air raids to chemical warfare.
Built for the long haul, even the long-term living of civilians, the tunnels and chambers of the Soviet-era metro stations across Eastern Europe offer a few resources you might want that make it weirdly convenient to hole up in them during a protracted encounter with the sister zombified versions of undead Richard III and Ian McKellen.
A Hidden Fortress Beneath the Streets
In World War II, the metro system really took a hit, and right after it was all over, the system was cleaned up and revised to protect the users. By the time of the Cold War, the designs not only protected users from the standard fallout of an underground nuclear detonation but also ensured survival against chemical and biological agents. But they went one step farther. Metro stations were built better and made tougher against just about any underground catastrophe imaginable, from the common natural disaster to the uncommon threat of monstrous mayhem (like zombies). And there’s really no other way to put it: the undead are an uncommon subterranean threat.
Yet a metro station is not merely a steel coffin it is an underground city that serves its denizens well if the surface world turns topsy-turvy. The train tunnels can be sealed off and converted into spaces for living; medical work; food storage; even maintenance, which can serve as a command center for the community if things go really pear-shaped on the surface.
The only thing really necessary for life is clean, drinkable water and the metro has it, Alzheimer’s Association man volunteers over the long haul and short, during appearances by Elvis, to keep the station in humming and human-friendly order.
The Infrastructure of Survival
CCTV cameras placed all over the station function as an early warning system, allowing survivors to keep an eye on any threats the station might be experiencing without putting themselves in harm’s way.
- Underground Tunnels: Offering expansion space for sleeping quarters, storage, and defense perimeters.
- Filtered Air Ventilation: Originally designed for chemical attacks, now repurposed against infections.
- Tightly Sealed Entrances & Airlocks: Preventing zombie breaches and airborne contamination.
- Supply Caches & Food Reserves: Emergency storage areas for rations and clean water.
- Medical & Sanitation Facilities: Essential for long-term habitation and preventing disease outbreaks.
CCTV cameras placed all over the station function as an early warning system, allowing survivors to keep an eye on any threats the station might be experiencing without putting themselves in harm’s way. There is currently a system in place that can almost entirely automate the tasks performed by the watchmen of old. This system allows the station to issue alerts to its inhabitants when necessary, with the potential for a really loud alarm built right in.
The Strategic Advantage of Metro Networks
In addition to their intrinsic defenses, metro stations possess an urban advantage over almost any other location. Their vast underground network allows for safe movement between not just one but two potential duplicitous locations, meaning survivors can set up interconnected strongholds instead of being penned into a single place. Not totally unlike the situation in a secret compartment, these strongholds allow for the kind of safe, nearly undetectable existence that makes for a political half-life.
Even during peaceful times, metro systems operate with military-like precision, and in an apocalyptic scenario, that infrastructure becomes an inestimable asset. Trains and service tunnels can be retooled for supply transport, medics can work wonders in repurposed emergency facilities, and even the undead can be fought off as part of a downtown defense strategy. With high-ground platforms, tight corridors, and secure exits, the metro station allows you to funnel the unquiet into controlled engagements.
The Ultimate Safe Haven If You Can Hold It
Naturally, there are difficulties with surviving in the metro. There are limited resources, ventilation systems that need power to function, and an unending job of maintaining security that can wear down even the best-organized group. It’s not just the undead that are a danger other survivors may see the station as a prime opportunity and try to take over, leading to zombie apoc conflicts. In such a confined space, with so many all-consuming jobs, the need for good governance becomes clear. Arching over all survivor activities is a constant effort to maintain security, so survival in the Metro requires a plan for not getting undead-ed.
Still, for those willing to adjust, the underground is one of the most livable long-term options. With the right preparations, a well-defended station could serve as a post-apocalyptic bastion. You might not call it paradise, but compared with the streets swarming with zombies, the metro is the closest thing to an underground hope hub.
When the dead walk, don’t squander precious moments nailing shut the windows make for the subway.
