River electric tram "Titmouse", so far the only one in the world

For a multi-million dollar Moscow, the transport problem has always been one of the most significant. In 2021, the city authorities ordered a model of a river tram from St. Petersburg shipbuilders, which can subsequently become a full-fledged type of urban transport. It is desirable that it be as environmentally friendly as possible, because the exhausts of endless streams of cars pollute the air of a huge metropolis so much. The designers coped with the task brilliantly: the very next year, the first test sample of an electric river tram was tested on Moscow waters.


The new idea of ​​river transport came in handy, because shipping boats stopped running city routes back in 2006. The city was in dire need of high-speed transport, not loading the already crowded highways. The tram, floating on the water, did not create traffic jams, did not waste time at traffic lights, moved smoothly and quickly. And its passengers had a unique opportunity to admire the city landscapes.


Developed two river routes. Residents of fast-growing coastal areas were able to get from Filey to Kievsky railway station (12,5 km), bypassing thirteen stops in less than an hour. From Avtozavodsky bridge to Pechatniki (8 km and ten stops) - and even less. For one day of work on the route, a new type of river transport is able to comfortably transport up to 18 passengers.

New water urban transport

The most surprising thing is that the new ships can navigate the river routes year-round, they are able to move on crushed ice up to twenty centimeters. In the conditions of the Russian winter, where ice fetters the river for several months, this is a very good indicator.



They want to make the names of subsequent water trams similar to the names of the capital's rivers. They are quite roomy: more than 20 meters in length and 50 passengers at a time. Two powerful electric motors are capable of accelerating the vessel up to 25 km/h. In order not to waste time charging engines, make-up is carried out on floating stopping berths. In the final version there will be twenty-three. Six more charging stations are planned to be located on the coastline.

New trams are planned to be assembled in the Kirovsky district of St. Petersburg. Russian shipbuilders took care of the maximum comfort for the passengers of Sinichka. It offers travelers comfortable chairs with tables, wide aisles, information boards, modern bathrooms. It is possible to charge gadgets, connect to WI-FI.


Additional facilities have been provided for the disabled. There is a place for transporting bicycles and other small equipment. Passengers will not be bored on the piers - boats should arrive at stops in twenty minutes. You can pay for the fare with any card. The cost of travel is low - about 50 rubles. Holders of annual travel documents do not pay a fare. The new river tram was carefully tested on city rivers in different climatic conditions. He showed:

✅ good maneuverability
✅ reliability
✅ comfort
✅ security

It was assumed that regular traffic would be established as early as July 2022. But international sanctions imposed on the Russian industry did not allow the start of mass production of a promising model.


While manufacturers are looking for the possibility of replacing imported parts with domestic engineering products, passengers can only wait patiently for maneuverable and comfortable boats to appear on the Moscow rivers. Local authorities hope that they will enter the city routes this or next year.