TMH’s autonomous tram expands to the Sverdlovsk Region
posted on 23rd Oct 2026 13:50
Transmashholding has reached a new milestone in its project to implement automated tram services between Yekaterinburg and Verkhnyaya Pyshma. The Russian government has extended the experimental legal regime (ELR) for the operation of highly automated trams to the Sverdlovsk Region. The company Verkhnepyshminsky tramway (Verkhnyaya Pyshma Tram, which operates the intermunicipal line connecting the capital of the Urals to its largest nearby satellite city, has now joined this experimental framework.
This development was formalized by Government Decree No. 1377, issued on 21 October 2026. The decision marks a new phase in testing autonomous technologies on an active line in the Sverdlovsk Region, enabling a significant transition from testing within a depot to the actual operation in an urban environment.
Previously, the Type 71-911EM Lvyonok (Lion Cub) autonomous tram, built by PK Transportnye Sistemy (PK TS), was restricted to depot grounds, as existing legislation did not permit the operation of driverless public transport in publicly accessible areas. The implementation of the ELR now provides the necessary legal foundation for automated rolling stock to operate on an active route, complete with crossings, passenger stops, and real-world traffic.
The transition to autonomous passenger transport follows a strict, phased sequence. First, the system must accumulate operational data by covering 3,000 km with a test driver present in the cab. The project will then move to the next stage - remote monitoring - where the tram will travel another 3,000 km with an operator on board. At this stage, a single operator will be able to remotely oversee up to 10 trams.
Efforts to include the Sverdlovsk Region within the scope of the ELR began at the Innoprom exhibition in Yekaterinburg. In July 2026, an agreement was signed between the Sverdlovsk Region Ministry of Transport and Road Infrastructure, TMH Intelligent Systems, MOVISTA Yekaterinburg, and PK TS to establish a competence center for the testing, implementation, and operation of autonomous rail-based transport systems.
Last year, TMH implemented a project to automate tram operations at the Verkhnyaya Pyshma depot. The digital system developed for this purpose significantly improved the efficiency of the tram fleet; it notably increased the speed at which trams navigate switches and reduced the time required for maintenance.
The framework refined in the Urals will serve as a testing ground for rolling out this technology to other Russian cities. Experimental Legal Regimes are already in effect in Moskva and St. Peterburg, where active testing of ATO technologies is underway on trams manufactured by PK TS. A key milestone was the demonstration of autonomous operation on Line 6 in St. Petersburg, held in September 2026.
