Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A large-scale interdisciplinary project, "Comprehensive Graduation Thesis on the Development of a Family of Digital Models for Urban Electric Transport Network Management," has been launched at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. It is being implemented as part of the "Project as a Graduation Thesis" strategic initiative and commissioned by the St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise Gorelektrotrans.
The project brought together four undergraduate students from various fields of study. Their shared goal is to create a set of digital tools for analyzing, modeling, and optimizing the St. Petersburg tram and trolleybus network. The models being developed will allow for identifying traffic bottlenecks, analyzing route loads, creating network management scenarios, and evaluating the effectiveness of data-driven decisions.
The project's unique organizational model is "client-bachelor-students-managers." This format ensures a synergistic effect between education, science, and practice. Employees of the company serve as mentors on behalf of St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise "Gorelectrotrans." This allows students to immerse themselves deeply in real production processes and establish direct communication with the client.
Marina Bolsunovskaya, head of the Industrial Stream Data Processing Systems Laboratory at the St. Petersburg Polytechnical School of Economics, associate professor at the Higher School of Computer Technology and Information Systems at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, and leading researcher at the Research Laboratory for Fundamentals of High-Tech Medical Rehabilitation, notes: "This project is a shining example of how academic education can directly impact the quality of urban life. By combining the efforts of students from various fields—from programmers to business analysts—we are creating not just a theoretical model, but a living digital tool that is already helping Gorelektrotrans make data-driven decisions. It is especially valuable that the undergraduate students are working with real-world problems: identifying route bottlenecks, modeling the impact of schedule changes, and proposing solutions that could reduce tram wait times for thousands of St. Petersburg residents tomorrow."
To address the challenges, a team of students from four SPbPU higher education institutions was formed. Alexander Faida (IPMET) is analyzing transport datasets and identifying key performance factors. Pavel Sobolev (IKNiK) is developing the architecture, optimization algorithms, and software implementation of digital models. Yan Levkovich (IMMeT) is analyzing network performance issues and developing process management proposals, and Gleb Vasiliev (IMMeT) is responsible for developing a performance indicator system and a set of management scenarios.
On the SPbPU side, the project is led by a team of leading specialists representing various scientific and educational fields, headed by Marina Bolsunovskaya. The academic leadership team also includes Alexey Gintsyak, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Project Activity and Industrial Innovation at the Institute of Metallurgical and Industrial Engineering (IMW&T), Associate Professor of the Higher School of Advanced Digital Technologies of the Advanced Engineering School "Digital Engineering"; Dmitry Plotnikov, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Transport at the Institute of Metallurgical and Industrial Engineering and Technology; and Angi Skhvediani, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Engineering and Economics at the Institute of Metallurgical and Industrial Engineering and Technology, Head of the System Dynamics Research Laboratory, and Leading Analyst of the Department of Scientific Certification and Training of Highly Qualified Personnel. This composition of academic advisors ensures the interdisciplinary nature of the project and a comprehensive approach to solving its tasks.
Consultants from St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise Gorelektrotrans also play a key role in supporting the project: Elena Yezhelina, Director of Internal Control at Gorelektrotrans, and Alexey Vishensky, Deputy Head of the Gorelektrotrans Traffic Safety Service. In-person working meetings and a student tour of the enterprise were important elements of collaboration with the industrial partner.
During their visit to St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise Gorelectrotrans, the project participants visited Tram Depot No. 5, the Shavrova Street tram production and technical department, and the company's management units. The tour not only provided students with initial data and clarified their objectives but also provided a deeper understanding of the urban electric transport production and management processes. The students learned about the full cycle of preparing rolling stock and personnel for deployment, the operation of the dispatch service, the principles of creating release orders, and the economic aspects of transportation operations—from cost accounting to cost analysis.
Special attention was paid to the modern technological solutions used at the enterprise, including the operation of the testing ground and the tram with an active driver assistance system. The final part of the program was devoted to a discussion of contract support, penalty analysis, risk management, and evaluating the effectiveness of transport operations. The opportunity to directly ask questions of subject-matter experts and receive detailed answers became an important source of practical knowledge for the students, which is already being used in developing digital models and formulating management scenarios.
"Participating in this project is both an interesting and challenging experience," shared Pavel Sobolev. "Creating a system of this scale requires working with enormous amounts of data, accounting for numerous details, and building a complex architecture. Despite this, we are moving forward confidently. Alexey Igorevich Vishensky has been a great support to us—thanks to his involvement and expertise, we have developed a truly productive collaboration. I am glad to be part of this project."
For St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise Gorelektrotrans, the project has practical significance already at the development stage.
"For Gorelectrotrans, this project isn't just a student project, but a real step toward digitalizing our transportation," emphasizes Elena Yezhelina. "We're gaining the opportunity to use tools for route analysis and overall tram fleet management. This is a mutually beneficial collaboration! After all, the students aren't just tackling our challenges as a formality; they view them as a real opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice. Their digital models, in pilot mode, are already allowing us to conduct experiments without risking real-world operations. Collaborating with the Polytechnic University has a dual benefit: we're gaining useful solutions for our daily work and meeting talented individuals who could potentially strengthen our team. This format is an investment in the future of St. Petersburg's electric transportation: more comfortable for passengers and more efficient for the city."
The project's implementation is important not only for the university and the client company, but also for the city as a whole. The development of a domestic software suite for critical urban infrastructure contributes to technological sovereignty and is consistent with the Electric Transport Development Concept through 2030. The project's results will ultimately improve travel comfort, optimize routes and operating costs, reduce service intervals, and reduce congestion on the road network.
For students, participation in the project is a significant step in their professional development: in addition to preparing their final qualifying work, they gain experience working on a real industrial project. St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise Gorelektrotrans has already expressed its willingness to give priority consideration to project participants for employment.
The defense of the comprehensive final qualification thesis is planned for the summer of 2026 at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Successful implementation of the project will be another step toward establishing a sustainable model for training practice-oriented specialists through the implementation of interdisciplinary projects for the benefit of industrial partners.
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