The expert spoke about the work of biometric boarding trains

Russia is preparing for a new stage of digitalization of passenger transportation — it is planned to introduce train boarding using biometric identification. The service will be tested on selected railway routes in 2026. The technology will allow you to enter the car not only with a passport, but also using verified biometric data. This was announced on November 20 to Izvestia by an associate professor of the Department of Informatics at the Russian University of Economics. Plekhanova, Alexander Timofeev.

"The mechanism will be similar to how other biometric services work in Russia. To use the new option, a passenger must be registered in the Unified Biometric System (UBS). This requires confirmed biometrics, which can be submitted at branches of authorized banks or use the on—site registration service. Simplified and standard biometrics, which can be registered online, is not suitable in this case," the expert explained.

Timofeev said that when buying a ticket, passengers will be offered to choose a method of identification — by passport or biometrics. Identification confirmation will occur immediately upon boarding: the conductor will verify the data using a secure device connected to the EBS.

At the same time, he stressed, the use of biometrics remains exclusively voluntary. The passenger will always be able to choose the usual passport control and enter the carriage according to the document.

"The main principle of all biometric services in Russia is alternative and voluntary. Biometrics is an option, not an obligation," the expert added.

According to him, the pilot project will make it possible to assess the convenience of the new mechanism, the accuracy of recognition and the burden on the infrastructure before the possible large-scale implementation of the technology on the entire railway network.

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On November 18, the Russian Ministry of Transport announced the introduction of a pilot launch of biometric train boarding technology in 2026 on limited routes. It was clarified that the technology is already being tested. To check the operation of the system, a test group was formed, where the service is being tested.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.