Driverless Tram Network Expanding in Russia: New Regions Join Pilot

The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has proposed expanding the pilot regions for the introduction of driverless vehicles in the country. According to the new project, the operation of autonomously controlled trams is planned for the Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk regions. This technological innovation is the next step toward modernizing the urban public transport system and reducing risks associated with the human factor. This is reported by Ixbt.com news reports.

Currently, the experimental legal regime (ELR) for the use of driverless trams is only in effect in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. According to information published on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts, the governors of the two aforementioned regions have sent official requests to participate in these technological trials.

Testing Stages and Safety Measures

The project envisions the use of two categories of autonomous trams. The first category of vehicles operates under the control of a test driver in the cabin. The second category includes fully autonomous modes managed entirely by AI without human participation. This approach allows for testing how effectively the technology works in urban conditions of varying complexity.

The document defines specific indicators for each region. In particular, by the third year of the experiment, first-category trams in the Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk regions must cover 3,000 kilometers in the first half of the year and 6,000 kilometers in the second half. For fully autonomous (second category) trams, the plan sets a minimum distance of 1,000 kilometers in the second half of the year.

Regional Significance and Prospects

This project is not only an innovation in the transport sector but also an important step in the regions' transition to a digital economy. The Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk regions are industrialized areas with high public transport loads. The introduction of autonomous systems is expected to increase road safety and ensure strict adherence to transport schedules.

The Russian government aims to create a unified legal and technical base for driverless public transport across the country through these trials. If the tests are successful, such systems could be implemented on a mass scale in other large cities. This, in turn, will serve to fundamentally transform urban infrastructure.