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Washington DC To Return To Automatic Metro Trains
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?
The Victoria line is entirely driverless and has been since it opened in 1967. Large parts of the Central line have been driverless since the mid-1990s. In the past few years, parts of both the Jubilee and the Northern lines have been upgraded to be driverless.
But don't let that get in the way of your anti-union prejudice.
Disney's trains were retrofitted in the mid/late 00's with a similar system. There are three optical switches that all have to be aligned with corresponding places at the station, otherwise the driver is unable to open the doors. It was fairly easy to only get one or two of the sensors in place, requiring the driver to move the train a couple of inches forward or back to get his doors open. It's gotten to be a real headache for today's drivers, since the new rules Disney instituted after the accident in 2009 require that *any* reverse motion of the train be set up by the central coordinator and visually cleared by an independent spotter beforehand, even if it's only to back up an inch.
Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
In contrast, the Danish Copenhagen Metro went into operation late 2002. After extensive teething problems during the first years of operation, I was very surprised at just how well this driverless system now functions. Additionally, the design and architecture is extremely futuristic. The above ground sections linking the CBD with the airport are more reminiscent of scenes from Star-Trek. Though quite small (2 lines), it is currently undergoing a city-wide expansion phase. In cases of extreme winter weather, the above ground sections sometimes have to be manually controlled to ensure the system does not interpret heavy snow as an obstacle. Despite this requirement, there is no actual operator cabin, so passengers can sit right at the front and enjoy the scenery ahead through the large glass windows. For those looking for a solid and efficient metro transport solution, look no further.
The London Underground Piccadilly line uses 41 year old carriages, and the Bakerloo line uses 42 year old ones.
And they all very comfortable, and stop in the right places....