On 14.03.16 2:33, Charles Ellson wrote:
On Mon, 14 Mar 2016 01:52:47 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
wrote:

Charles Ellson wrote:
On Sun, 13 Mar 2016 12:36:43 +0000, "
wrote:

On 13.03.16 0:57, Charles Ellson wrote:
On Sat, 12 Mar 2016 23:21:45 +0000, "
wrote:

On 12.03.16 23:00, Recliner wrote:
wrote:
On 10.03.16 10:29, Recliner wrote:
Clive Page wrote:
On 09/03/2016 20:48, Graeme Wall wrote:
On 09/03/2016 20:45, Scott wrote:
On Wed, 9 Mar 2016 20:11:54 +0000, Graeme Wall
wrote:

On 09/03/2016 19:39, Scott wrote:
On Wed, 9 Mar 2016 08:01:42 -0800 (PST), wrote:

[snip]

What about self-driving trains? Will these developments bring this
prospect closer?


They've been here since the 60s, first the Victoria line, then the DLR
and various VAL systems in France.

Indeed, but not on the national rail network. Will the technology
ever allow high speed express trains to run without drivers?


Could do it tomorrow[1] if the political will and funding were there.

The plan is for the trains on the Thameslink core (roughly London Bridge
to Kentish Town I think) to be run automatically, albeit with a driver
sitting at the front not doing much, when the Thameslink-2000 project is
complete in a few years time. The argument seems to be that computers
can run trains just a bit faster than the average driver (though I
suppose it is the reaction time of the slowest driver which will
influence the overall flow rate through the core).

The name of the project gives away the fact that it is over-running just
a tad, but as far as I know the automation bit hasn't caused this.

It's not been called Thameslink 2000 for many years now. And the delays
have nothing to do with the automation. Politicians and the Olympics played
the biggest part in the delays.

There were a number of big sub-projects that should have been run in
parallel, but were run serially, such as the rebuilding of four stations
(SPILL, Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge) and the new Borough
viaduct. And the DfT was late in ordering the trains, using a PPP approach,
which is both inflexible and expensive, and which probably contributed to
the trains being built in Germany rather than the UK. The Olympics meant
that all work had to be suspended for the best part of a year.

The Elizabeth line trains will also be driven automatically in the core
section, as are several of the Tube lines.

Will the doors on Lizzie trains automatically open when properly berthed
in stations? That happens now on the Northern and Jubilee lines, does it
not?


And on the Central and Victoria lines, surely?

Can't speak for the Victoria Line, but I thought that drivers on the
Central Line still opened the doors.

AFAIAA they all still require driver action to prevent doors being
opened when undesirable to do so (e.g. station full of smoke,
passengers needing to be detained etc.).


Yes, I imagine that there would be an override of some sort.

I actually meant e.g. "still require driver action to allow the doors
to open to prevent...". A distinct delay between stopping and the
doors opening seems much more common than the doors opening almost as
soon as a train stops.


I'm pretty sure the doors open automatically when an automatically-driven
LU train stops.

The operator's job is only to close the doors, after which the train
departs automatically, runs automatically, stops automatically, and opens
the doors automatically.

When did that change ? The drivers seemed to be still opening the
doors back in 2012 :-
http://districtdavesforum.co.uk/thre...s?page=4&page=

AIUI, Northern and Jubilee trains automatically open their doors. Vic
and Central still require positive action.