RZD has launched a new stage of testing the "Automashinist" system on the TEM7A diesel locomotive. The technology, which allows the locomotive to independently perform maneuvers, build routes, and recognize obstacles, is being tested at Chelyabinsk-Glavny station.

The system is based on the Shunting Automation Center. It receives information from station equipment – traffic lights, switches, and other infrastructure elements – and generates tasks for the locomotive. Commands are transmitted directly to the TEM7A's onboard system, after which the diesel locomotive can independently perform maneuvers along a given route.

A separate part of the complex is responsible for technical vision. Cameras and image processing algorithms allow for the detection of obstacles in the path of travel. If necessary, the locomotive automatically stops, and if the situation changes, the system can recalculate the route and generate a new task.

At the current stage, humans are not yet completely excluded from the process. The driver controls the automation, but their task is gradually shifting from direct control of the locomotive to monitoring several machines simultaneously. In the future, the operator will be able to be remotely located and receive real-time images from the locomotive's cameras.