{"id":1084,"date":"2026-09-17T10:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T07:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/watchrussia.com\/en\/?p=1084"},"modified":"2026-09-29T19:59:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T16:59:14","slug":"next-stop-driverless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/watchrussia.com\/en\/the_agenda\/top_stories\/next-stop-driverless\/","title":{"rendered":"Next stop \u2013 driverless"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By 2030, up to 80% of the tram fleets in Russia\u2019s two capitals could be using driverless technology. Konstantin Pashkov, First Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia, announced the new target for the country\u2019s two largest tram networks at the International Youth Festival. As Vedomosti. Severo-Zapad<\/a> reports, driverless trams with no one in the cab are due to enter service on public roads by 2030. In Moscow, the technology has already moved beyond test routes and is operating in regular passenger service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The capital\u2019s first fully driverless tram began carrying passengers in September 2025 on route No. 10 in Strogino. According to Interfax<\/a>, four such vehicles were operating in the city by March 2026; their number is due to reach 15 by the end of the year and approximately 350 by 2030, accounting for two-thirds of Moscow\u2019s tram fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The autonomous system handles the entire journey: it recognises traffic light signals, switches points, stops at tram stops and keeps to the timetable. Navigation relies on high-precision digital maps, cameras, lidar and other sensors, which allow the tram to find its way through a complex urban environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St Petersburg is following a similar path, but is relying first and foremost on its own testing and engineering facilities. Since 2024, the city has been taking part in an experimental legal regime for highly automated rail transport; in spring 2026, four sections of the street network were designated for testing new systems. In September, an engineering centre opened in St Petersburg to work on onboard electronics, tram automation and dispatching solutions. At the same time, the authorities have supported the creation of the country\u2019s first dedicated test centre for autonomous trams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, some 350 \u2018smart\u2019 trams equipped with AI systems are already in service on urban routes, helping to reduce the risk of accidents and monitor conditions along the track. This does not yet mean dispensing with the driver entirely, but rather a gradual transition from assistive systems to a higher degree of autonomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this logic, the tram becomes a convenient urban laboratory for driverless transport. Its route is predictable and its infrastructure clearly defined, yet the environment remains entirely real \u2013 complete with traffic lights, pedestrians, junctions, interchanges and heavy traffic. This is precisely why Moscow and St Petersburg can refine autonomous technologies not on a closed test track, but directly within everyday city traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Moscow and St Petersburg prepare for a mass transition of trams to driverless operation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the_agenda","category-top_stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDriverless trams in Moscow and St Petersburg by 2030<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Driverless trams in Moscow and St Petersburg: by 2030, up to 80% of the tram fleets in both capitals could switch to autonomous control technology.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ru_RU\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Driverless trams in Moscow and St Petersburg by 2030\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Driverless trams in Moscow and St Petersburg: by 2030, up to 80% of the tram fleets in both capitals could switch to autonomous control technology.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/watchrussia.com\/en\/the_agenda\/top_stories\/next-stop-driverless\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Watch Russia - 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