At Pechatniki station on the Bolshaya Koltsevaya Line of the Moscow Metro, trials have begun of an automatic track-fall monitoring system. This technology will become one of the key safety elements of future driverless train operations.
The system includes a video camera, a lidar and a sensor system. Lidar is a device that uses laser pulses to build a precise three-dimensional picture of the surrounding space. Together with cameras and sensors, it can detect almost any object that ends up on the rails in just one second. After that, the information is instantly transmitted via a secure channel to train control systems and the dispatch center. If necessary, the automation will stop the train before the obstacle, and metro staff will receive a signal to respond promptly. In addition, the system can warn passengers if they are standing too close to the platform edge.
By 2030, the technology is planned to be deployed at all 29 stations of the Bolshaya Koltsevaya Line. This is part of the driverless transport development program launched in 2023. Full operations are planned to begin in 2027, and by 2030 the first metro line with comprehensive driverless control is expected to be operating.
The new system shows that the shift to autonomous transport begins with the creation of additional layers of safety. It is such technologies that are meant to make driverless metro reliable and safe for millions of passengers.
