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Washington DC To Return To Automatic Metro Trains

Posted by timothy on from the nothing-can-go-nothing-can-go-nothing-can-go-wrong dept.

Bruce66423 (1678196) writes with news of interest to anyone with reason to ride mass transit in the U.S., specifically on the D.C. Metro system: After a crash some five years ago, automatic operation was abandoned. Now however replacement of 'faulty' modules means that moving the whole system on to automatic operation can happen. One quote is depressing: "And because trains regularly lurch to a halt a few feet short of where they should be at platforms, Metrorail riders have grown accustomed to hearing an announcement while they're waiting to board: 'Stand clear. Train moving forward.'" That never happens on the London underground with human operators? What's wrong with American drivers?

4 of 179 comments (clear)

  1. What's Wrong with DC Drivers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Never seems to happen in New York. What's the problem in DC?

    1. Re:What's Wrong with DC Drivers? by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A couple of bottles of Olde English 800 will screw up the reflexes.

      --
      "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
  2. What's wrong with American drivers? by Jmstuckman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    > What's wrong with American drivers?

    DC's metro trains were designed to be operated automatically the vast majority of the time. Hence, the acceleration and braking systems were optimized for automatic operation (as opposed to manual operation) and it is difficult for a human driver to control the train's movements precisely and smoothly.

  3. Re:As a metro rider ... by Mr.+Freeman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The correct decision would actually be to fire anyone retarded enough not to know which vehicle they're driving.

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    -1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.