28 October 2025 в 07:03

By the end of 2030, two-thirds of the capital’s trams will be unmanned

The use of unmanned public transport ensures the highest levels of reliability and adherence to timetables, and guarantees passengers’ comfort when traveling around the city.

Moscow continues to introduce unmanned technology in the urban public transport system. Three more trams will be equipped with this technology by the end of this year, and 11 more in 2026. As a result, 15 unmanned trams will be running in the capital by the end of 2026. According to the transport development strategy approved by Sergei Sobyanin, by the end of 2030 two thirds of Moscow’s trams will be unmanned.

The first unmanned tram in Russia is based on the 71-911EM (Little Lion-Moscow) model. This is an innovative vehicle that combines advanced technology and smart solutions when performing the functions of the driver. Its appearance was the result of work by a team from the Center for Advanced Development of Moscow Transport, which was opened by Sergei Sobyanin in May 2024 in Kuntsevo.

Specialists have created a unique tram control system that takes into account all the numerous technical characteristics of the vehicles and the capital’s weather conditions. It guarantees maximum reliability and adherence to schedules, and provides a high level of passengers comfort. The equipment processes information from all vehicle systems and, based on a set of pre-defined control rules, makes decisions about driving on specific sections of the route, including in relation to speed selection and the formation of a smooth driving path.

All road elements have been transferred to a high-precision route map, which consists of two parts—a LIDAR map, which shows the position of the tram, and a vector map. The road elements shown on the map include crosswalks, roads, tram switches and the tram tracks.

Thanks to Vehicle-to-Everything technology, a system of secure wireless communications between the tram, other road users and transportation infrastructure, the vehicle receives data about the current status of traffic lights. The tram’s sensor system, which includes cameras, radar and lidar, among other systems, enables the tram to analyze the situation on the road in real time and predict the maneuvers of other road users.

The innovative solutions developed for the launch of the country’s first unmanned tram have already received a number of prestigious national and international awards, including the Digital Leaders Award 2025 (Digital Leader of the Year) and Priority: Digital 2025 (Artificial Intelligence).

The next stage in the development of unmanned urban public transport will be metro trains. In December 2025, the first unmanned metro train in Russia will start test operation on the Bolshaya Koltsevaya line (BKL). During the tests, a driver will be in the cab to monitor system operation and ensure safety.

By the end of 2026, a train capable of running in unmanned mode will be ready to operate on the Moscow metro, taking into account the 90-second intervals between trains during peak hours.

The Moscow City Government has already approved the draft budget of the capital for 2026–2028, and the relevant document has been submitted to the Moscow City Duma.

The draft budget is based on the strategic plans for the development of the economy, infrastructure and social sphere of the city until 2030.

The main emphasis is on the implementation of 13 state programs. The state programs cover such matters as the provision of social support for residents, the development of the public transport system, education, healthcare, the digital environment and innovation. The total expenditures for the development of Moscow’s public transport system in 2026 will amount to about 1.3 trillion rubles.