Moscow to Test Russia’s First Driverless Metro Train in December
Powered by artificial intelligence, the autonomous train will run overnight trials on the city’s Big Circle Line before entering service in 2026.
Moscow will begin testing Russia’s first fully autonomous metro train in December 2025, marking a major milestone in the country’s smart transport development. The “Moscow” train model, equipped with an AI-driven control system, will be tested at night without passengers on the Big Circle Line.
The onboard artificial intelligence system will handle key operations — acceleration, braking, and door control — while a human operator monitors overall safety.
Smart Transport Ecosystem
The new driverless train represents a leap forward in metro automation. The autonomous control system is designed to eventually handle high-intensity service with train intervals as short as 90 seconds. Full commercial operation is expected by late 2026.
The initiative is part of Moscow’s broader smart transport ecosystem, which already includes: Autonomous trams, one of which has carried over 26,000 passengers since launch; Biometric fare payment, allowing commuters to pay using facial recognition; And intelligent road infrastructure, featuring thousands of smart cameras and adaptive traffic signals that monitor and optimize flow in real time.
The rollout of AI technologies in public transport underscores Moscow’s ambition to become a global leader in urban mobility innovation—creating systems that are not only efficient and eco-friendly but also seamlessly interconnected through intelligent automation.
