"Paul" wrote in message

Just came across this on BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15422882

Can't help thinking that Tfl are being a bit optimistic if they think
that only 20% of trains will be manually operated by 2017 and all
lines will have fully remote train operations by 2020. Would that not
require completely new trains track and signalling on the affected
lines?

The only "fully remote" metro I have used is the VAL system in Lille,
and the trains there are far too small to be able to cope with the
crowds in London. "Fully remote" operation would require platform
edge doors at every station, and I would be very surprised if that
could be achieved in 9 years, given current budget constraints.

Ticket office closures, reductions in hours and job losses are more
likely though (I would have thought) However given TfL's recent
experience with the unions, this is more likely to happen gradually
over a number of years rather than in one fell swoop.

I don't think it suggests unmanned trains, just that DLR-style operation
would spread across other lines as new automated trains are introduced.
All existing LU trains from the 1992 stock onwards are capable of being
driven automatically, and the driver's role is already reduced to that
of the door close button operator, something that could be done just as
well from control stations anywhere along the train, and not just from a
closed cab. Once the 1972 and 73 stocks have been replaced, there won't
be any remaining pure manual LU trains.

Automatically driven trains have been in use in other places for decades
(eg, Vancouver's Skytrain,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_%28Vancouver%29)

See the longer version of this story in the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...1500-jobs.html

Obviously you need to filter out Bob Crow's remarks, which directly
contradict the proposals (eg, they are *not* suggesting unstaffed
stations, unmanned service trains or closing every ticket office).