The technology of boarding trains using biometric data will become widespread in Russia by 2028–2029. This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Andrey Nikitin, on the eve of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
According to him, Russian Railways will take a leading position in the integration of biometric solutions into the transport infrastructure. This refers to the use of the Unified Biometric System (UBS) as a tool for identifying passengers when buying tickets and boarding long-distance trains.
The Russian government officially разрешило the use of the UBS from September 1, 2025, provided that carriers have the necessary technical means. Already this year, Russian Railways is conducting closed testing of the technology. Deputy General Director of the company, Evgeny Charkin, reported that specialists are working out issues of personal data protection, legal regulation, and interaction with telecommunications operators.
The Ministry of Digital Development and the Ministry of Transport emphasize the voluntary nature of the new option: biometric identification will become an alternative to presenting a passport and is primarily aimed at reducing boarding time, especially at intermediate stations, where the platform may be available for only a few minutes.
