Why are subway trains not automated?

The reason they have not been automated till now is economics. To make a train completely automated you need to make sure that not only will it be able to follow a pre determined path and schedule, but also make decisions when an unforeseen event occurs.



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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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New trains are still being designed and built with fully equipped driver cabins. But the idea of a train with no automation at all is unthinkable today. The industry has a scale called the Grades of Automation (GoA) for trains, which goes from GoA0 to GoA4, as follows: GoA0: No autonomy – all driving done by a human.

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Metro plans to return to automatic train operation, which means train operators will no longer be responsible for driving, starting, stopping, or opening doors. Operators will still have to close train doors and respond to any emergencies.

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The idea of driverless trains has been much debated. The Treasury even linked financial support for Transport for London to progress toward automation. New trains designed by Siemens and scheduled to be introduced from 2025 will have fully driverless capability.

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German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and industrial group Siemens on Monday unveiled the world's first automated, driverless train in the city of Hamburg, billing it as more punctual and energy efficient than traditional trains.

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Trains cannot collide with each other if they are not permitted to occupy the same section of track at the same time, so railway lines are divided into sections known as blocks. In normal circumstances, only one train is permitted in each block at a time. This principle forms the basis of most railway safety systems.

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As of August 2022, the fastest train on Earth, based on its record speed, is the Japanese L0 Series Maglev with a record speed of 603 kilometers per hour.

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Here are some illustrative examples: One of the main difficulties lies in the complex interaction of the various subsystems when the train is running: monitoring the status of the railway track, the position of other trains and the physical integrity of the train, and determining the space required to brake safely.

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With high-speed rail, train travel is always faster than driving. In many cases, it's even faster than flying, once you factor in the whole air travel song-and-dance. And if you do need to catch a plane, trains make it easier to get to the airport.

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It can happen. Servicing and/or crew change stations often have a lot of built-in time in the schedule. It's pretty common to see the servicing not take the full time, thus allowing some made-up time.

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