“Russia has for decades been staking on trams and St. Petersburg and Moscow, along with Melbourne and Berlin, boast the longest tram lines around,” the German daily newspaper Die Welt wrote.
Dubbed as “Russian One” (or R1) this futuristic streetcar features LED cabin lighting, felt-covered sofas, wooden handrails, and sliding glass doors that operate by touchscreen.
Designed and built by Uralvagonzavod, a company that specializes in tanks, the tram is super high-tech, both inside and out, thanks to Wi-Fi, GPS, and LED mood lighting that changes according to the weather and time of day.
Mass production of the R1 is scheduled for next year. It will be tested first in Yekaterinburg, then then in Omsk and, finally, in Moscow.
At around 1 million euros apiece, the R1 is twice cheaper compared to its European counterparts.
Alexei Maslov, the new tram’s designer, is sure that his brainchild will sit well with foreign commuters and will look great gliding elegantly down the streets of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Melbourne.
