Biometric Boarding Is to Debut on Russia’s First High-Speed Rail Line
Russia plans to use biometric identification for boarding trains on the country’s first high-speed rail corridor, according to the transport minister.
The technology for biometric boarding will be introduced on Russia’s first high-speed rail line. The announcement was made by Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin during an interview on the Rossiya-1 television program Vesti.
Door-to-Door Travel
According to the minister, the high-speed rail project is not only about travel “from city to city,” but also about a broader “door-to-door” concept—from a passenger’s apartment, for example, to destinations such as the Mariinsky Theatre. Achieving that requires precise integration between urban transportation and rail services, along with seamless security procedures. Biometric identification will therefore play a crucial role, Nikitin said.
The first Russian high-speed rail line between Moscow and St. Petersburg was commissioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The railway will stretch roughly 700 kilometers and pass through six regions with a combined population of about 30 million people. Passenger traffic between the two cities is expected to reach 23 million travelers annually by 2030. The line is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.
Earlier reports said Moscow will launch experiments this year involving biometric boarding for both airplanes and trains. The first tests will take place on suburban rail routes in the capital.
