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Are London Underground trains driverless?

All London Underground trains are currently either operated manually (when a train driver controls starting and stopping, the operation of doors and handling of emergencies) or in semi-automatic mode (when starting and stopping is automated, but a driver operates the doors and drives the train if needed).



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Current status. Partially-automated trains are used on eight lines: (Victoria, Jubilee, Central, Northern, District, Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan).

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NEL is the world's first fully automated underground driverless heavy rail rapid transit line. It is also the first MRT line to take accessibility into account, with the most number of lifts at the time and the first tactile guidance system.

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The driverless Shinkansen tests have so far taken place on the northernmost section of the Joetsu Shinkansen Line, which is not used by commercial traffic. This 5km-long section runs from Niigata station to the stock depot at Higashi-Niigata.

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The maximum speed currently possible in the UK is 186mph, achieved by Eurostar trains on the HS1 line between London and the Channel Tunnel. The HS1 line is used by Eurostar services and Javelin commuter services from Kent, although the latter have a max speed of 140mph.

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The opening of the Pujiang Line in Shanghai, China helped achieved this milestone, and today there are 63 fully automated operation (FAO) lines in 42 cities across 19 countries in the world.

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While full driverless autonomy is certainly technically possible, and is applied on various routes worldwide, it still accounts for only a tiny percentage of trains running today. New trains are still being designed and built with fully equipped driver cabins.

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Most trains on the New York City Subway are manually operated. As of 2022, the system currently uses Automatic Block Signaling, with fixed wayside signals and automatic train stops. Many portions of the signaling system were installed between the 1930s and 1960s.

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