11:48 - 29.08.2024

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August 29, Fineko/abc.az. On Wednesday, August 28, Moscow witnessed a significant milestone in public transportation as Russia's first autonomous train, Lastochka, began carrying passengers on the Moscow Central Circle (MCC).

ABC.AZ reports that although the train operates autonomously, a driver is still present in the cabin to oversee the opening and closing of doors during passenger boarding and alighting. Russian Railways (RZD) clarified that this represents the third level of automation in train operation.

Prior to this launch, driverless trains had only run on the MCC in test mode. Now, the autonomous Lastochka will operate regularly alongside conventional driver-operated trains. RZD plans to introduce the fourth stage of automation, which involves running trains without a driver in the cabin, by 2026. To achieve this, new trains will be developed based on the entirely Russian-made Finist platform, a domestic equivalent of the Lastochka.