JR East to introduce autonomous driving on Kesennuma Line BRT, Level 4 requiring no driver supervision

JR East will begin Level 4 autonomous driving on the Kesennuma Line BRT dedicated lane between Yanagizu and Mizushirikawa AP.

The system uses magnetic markers and vehicle sensors to pinpoint position, and will run at up to about 60 km/h over roughly 15.5 km.

Service will operate on Fridays and Saturdays from May 29 to July 4; the dedicated road will be autonomous, while general roads will be manually driven.

Rides are free and require advance application. This is the first approved Level 4 public operation in Tohoku, marking a major step for transit automation.