Think Railways

The Moscow Metro is testing operation of Metrovagonmash's 'Rusich' trains in the semi-automatic mode, stated Deputy Chief of the Metro, Dmitry Doschatov for the local press. 

According to him, one train, which operates in the semi-automatic mode, is being tested at the Koltsevaya Line.  Oleg Malinin, Chief Designer of the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design stated that all tests, conducted without passengers, can be certified by May, in time for the 80th anniversary of the creation of the Moscow Metro system. Following certification, "we will then decide on whether to implement it on the Circle Line of the subway," Malinin added.

Controlling a semi-automatic train requires the presence of a driver in the cabin.  However, the driver’s workload is significantly decreased, since most of the operations are automated. According to the Metro Deputy Chief, the driver starts the train and is responsible for opening and closing of doors.

New trains will also utilize a movement interlock system, said the Dmitry Pegov, Head of Moscow Metro.  It will prevent the train from moving, if one of the passengers is stuck in the doorway. He noted that operating the trains in the automatic mode will not only facilitate the work of the driver, but also shorten the interval between the scheduled trains.

Doschatov noted that in the future, the semi-automatic regime will be used while everything along the line is going according to schedule. He added that all new trains on the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya or Violet line, will operate using a semi-automatic system beginning in 2017.

The software that enables semi-automatic operation of the metro trains  was developed in the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design, which is a part of KRET.

Photo: KRET