LONDON UNDERGROUND
“Signifi cantly, the DLR, which runs the only automated and driverless trains on the LU network, consistently outperforms the rest of the network for reliability.” - Philippa Oldham
Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group,
said: “New
technology must be pioneered on the London Underground, but I have real concerns about any rush towards driverless trains. The bottom line is that the London Underground is fundamentally different to the Docklands Light Railway. A huge number of safety and passenger concerns have to be fully addressed before we start to contemplate any driverless London Underground trains.”
LU did not want to discuss the issue with RTM. Commenting on the rumoured trials and LU’s reluctance to speak publicly about it, Pidgeon added: “The secrecy so far about the move towards driverless trains only adds to the fear that London Underground is being driven by ideology more than anything else on this issue.”
However, other members of the London
Assembly Transport
Committee hold opposing views on the subject.
Richard Tracey, who speaks on transport issues for the Conservatives on the Greater London Authority, has argued that strikes offer a “turbo-charged” example of why driverless trains are “absolutely vital…as soon as
possible”.
In a recent blog post, he said: “If you want a safer, faster, more effi cient, higher capacity Tube, then driverless is the way to go. The DLR is driverless, sections of the rejuvenated Thameslink will be driverless and metro systems the world over work perfectly well without drivers. Aeroplanes have been fl ying-by-wire for decades.
“This isn’t futuristic technology. It’s today’s technology and it should be grabbed with both hands.”
A LU report on the Deep Tube Programme,
published
in September, states: “The introduction of automated maintenance for key activities will ensure a level of sustainable effi ciency and minimising the number of labour intensive tasks, reducing potential for staff error and injury.
“This Operations and Maintenance Concept seeks to support the delivery of the Mayor’s Strategy and deliver a World Class Railway founded on unattended train operation and the benefi ts that attend full automation of service delivery.”
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
opinion@railtechnologymagazine.com
rail technology magazine Oct/Nov 12 | 53
© TfL
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