Moscow Is Getting Ready to Put a Driverless Train Into Passenger Service
Moscow has begun testing an autonomous metro train on a major ring line, with passenger service planned for 2027 and the city’s first fully driverless metro line targeted for 2030.
Russia’s capital is moving toward passenger service on a driverless metro. An autonomous train called Moscow-2024 is being launched for testing on the Big Circle Line, one of the busiest routes in the city’s subway system. The announcement was made by Sergey Sobyanin.
The initial phase will run with a human driver onboard to supervise the system. The first trips carrying passengers are scheduled for 2027. City officials say that by 2030, Moscow plans to open its first fully driverless metro line.
At the start, engineers will focus on verifying the core capabilities of the system. These include automated train operation, real-time detection of people and objects on the tracks, machine-vision systems for spotting anomalies, and constant communication with dispatchers. In the longer term, the system is expected to learn how to automatically generate and adjust train schedules.
Beyond the Metro
The autonomous metro project is part of a broader push to roll out driverless transport across Moscow. Passengers are already riding a driverless tram known as Lvenok-Moscow. By the end of 2026, another 15 trams on the Krasnopresnenskaya tram network are set to be equipped with autonomous systems. By 2030, the city expects the number of driverless trams to reach 350.
Moscow is also testing autonomous river boats. For now, the vessels are used to monitor transport safety on waterways. In 2026, they are expected to take on environmental patrol duties, including assessing water quality and detecting pollution.
In addition, city authorities plan to approve a roadmap by the end of this year for introducing autonomous navigation on regular river passenger vessels known as Moscow 1.0. The first passenger-carrying autonomous boat could launch as early as 2028.
Serial production of uncrewed boats may begin at the Moscow Shipyard. Plans call for up to 10 vessels to be built this year and another 15 in 2027.
Taken together, the projects show how Moscow is turning autonomous transport into everyday infrastructure—rolling out driverless systems step by step across rail, street, and river transport, rather than treating them as isolated experiments.
