Automation of London Underground rolling stock has been partially implemented since the introduction of automatic train operation on the Hainault to Woodford section of the Central line in 1964. It is currently in use on six lines. Transport for London plans to extend this to remaining lines by 2023.

Historical projects

Partially automated trains using automatic train operation (ATO) have been used on passenger services on the

Victoria line The Victoria line is a London Underground line that runs between in south London and in the north-east, via the West End. It is printed in light blue on the Tube map and is one of the only two lines on the network to run completely underg ...

since 1968. The side doors to the driver's cab were sealed, so that access was normally through the passenger saloon. Since the trains were to be operated by one person, the door controls were moved from the rear end of the motor car into the cab. The train control equipment was fitted beneath the centre seats, and consisted of a "black box", which interpreted signals received from the running rails. These were picked up by sensing coils mounted on the leading bogie. One rail supplied safety information, which was received continuously. Any failure to obtain this data resulted in a trip-valve operating, which stopped the train. The second rail supplied signal commands, which included speed signals and instructions to start and stop the train. This information was only provided when it was needed. The driver was renamed a train operator, and was responsible for opening and closing the doors at stations, and initiating a start from the stations, by pressing two buttons simultaneously. All other operation, including stopping at signals and restarting when safe to proceed was automatic. The automatic control equipment was temporarily mounted in the passenger saloon, between the cab and the first set of doors, to enable engineers to monitor and adjust it as experience was gained.

Current status

Partially-automated trains are used on eight lines: (

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, Central, Northern,

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, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan). These trains still require operators to open and close the doors, and to assist in the event of an emergency. This method of working will be extended to the other lines by 2023 and will also be used on

Thameslink Thameslink is a 24-hour main-line route in the British railway system, running from , , , and via central London to Sutton, , , Rainham, , , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying ...

and

Crossrail Crossrail is a railway construction project mainly in central London. Its aim is to provide a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system crossing the capital from suburbs on the west to east, by connecting two major railway l ...

. London's second rapid-transit system, the

Docklands Light Railway The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated light metro system serving the redeveloped Docklands area of London, England and provides a direct connection between London's two major financial districts, Canary Wharf and the City of Lo ...

(DLR), has operated with driverless trains since its opening in 1987. Boris Johnson promised in 2012 that there would be driverless Tube trains within 10 years. During his campaign to be re-elected as London Mayor, he said "TfL (Transport for London) will rapidly establish a timetable for introducing the first driverless trains to become operational on the London Underground network within a decade". That was cheered by Brian Paddick ( Lib Dems), but Ken Livingstone ( Labour) said it was a 'vanity project', and Jenny Jones ( Greens) said that she had concerns over the safety of driverless trains. The then deputy cabinet member for sports, leisure and customer services at

Westminster City Council Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Cons ...

, Richard Holloway, launched a petition in August 2015 demanding the introduction of driverless trains.

Benefits and drawbacks

Possible benefits

*This would remove the possibility of strikes by drivers, which have caused widespread disruption, as well as the possibility of a driver being ill or otherwise unable to work at short notice. It would also save the cost of drivers' salaries and benefits. *In

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, automated metros have enabled trains to run every 85 seconds and this increase in services could be replicated on the Tube. *It would enable easier running of the

Night Tube The Night Tube and London Overground Night Service, often referred to simply as Night Tube, is a service pattern on the London Underground ("Tube") and London Overground systems which provides through-the-night services on Friday and Saturday ni ...

, as drivers would not have to work anti-social hours and have to concentrate at times when they might be tired. *Trains would not have to have a driver's compartment, reducing weight and the cost of building trains

Criticism

*There has been criticism from unions over safety and cost, as well as the accompanying reductions in staffing levels. *It is more difficult to introduce driverless trains on existing lines (as opposed to new lines such as the DLR) as there are issues with signalling when there are both trains with drivers and without running at the same time. *

Christian Wolmar Christian Tage Forter Wolmar (born 3 August 1949) is a British journalist, author, railway historian and Labour Party politician.

New Tube for London programme

The New Tube for London programme will include driverless tube trains. However these will initially have a driver on board until old stock has been fully replaced (i.e. Grade of Automation level 2, currently used on ATO-equipped lines). Even then, they will still have "train captains" on board in case of emergency (i.e. Grade of Automation level 3, as used by the DLR), due to driver union opposition of fully automated, unattended trains (i.e. Grade of Automation level 4, as used by some lines of the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

A history of driverless trains on the London Underground
London Underground Automated guideway transit