The world's first unmanned truck with a rail drive has been put into commercial operation - it can drive on ordinary roads and railway tracks

In May 2025, Glīd Technologies and Mendocino Railway announced the launch of the world's first autonomous rail-driven truck into commercial operation. The unique vehicle is capable of traveling on both conventional roads and railway tracks.

Innovative transportation will function on the historic route between the cities of Willits and Fort Bragg in California, where the famous Skunk Train previously ran. The route is about 64km long and runs through wooded and mountainous terrain, making it an ideal testing ground for the technology in challenging conditions.

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Фото: Glīd Technologies

Glīd Technologies has presented two types of vehicles for this project: hybrid GliderM and fully automatic AR2RV. Both options are equipped with a special system that allows you to quickly switch from road mode to railway mode. Vehicles run on biodiesel fuel, which significantly reduces their ecological footprint compared to traditional freight transport.

The rail drive technology is implemented as follows: trucks are equipped with special retractable roller wheels, which are lowered if it is necessary to move along the rails. In this mode, conventional rubber tires are lifted, and the vehicle travels along the railway tracks like a carriage. In this case, control is carried out using a car engine, and the rails act as guides.

Robert Pinolli, CEO of Mendocino Railway, stressed that the launch of unmanned trucks will not only modernize the historic railway line, but also significantly improve the logistics capabilities of the region. According to him, innovative transport will be able to provide regular supplies to hard-to-reach areas where the development of traditional logistics infrastructure requires significant costs.^[1]

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