
Kolkata to get its first self-driving metro trains by 2018 - thetechgraph
https://thetechgraph.com/2016/12/18/kolkata-get-first-self-driving-metro-trains-2018/
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jimnotgym
That is what Transport For London needs...that would reduce the number of
strikes I would imagine!

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david-given
The DLR (Docklands Light Rail, one of the London Underground subnetworks; it's
mostly overground, ironically) has been fully automated since 1987.

[https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/what-we-
do/docklands-...](https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/what-we-do/docklands-
light-railway)

It serves the financial districts of London. If you're visiting London, it's
worth a look; it's always hilarious to watch people in high-powered suits
subtly jockeying for the coveted front-right seat, where the driver would
normally sit...

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ShinyCyril
Out of interest, why is it that only the DLR is automated and not any of the
other Underground lines? Is it an infrastructure issue?

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fredoralive
Bits of it does have similar levels of automation to the DLR, bits of it
don't. The Underground is a large systems where some lines have been upgraded
to fully modern ATO, whilst others have manual control and signalling systems
dating back to the 1950s.

The DLR is automated but there is still a human aboard who makes the decision
to close the doors and start the train moving. They can also take manual
control of the train if needed.

If that is counted as automatic the Victoria, Central, Jubilee and Northern
lines are also automated. They have modern ATO systems as well, it's just the
train operator gets their own compartment for historical reasons.

The "sub-surface" lines (Metropolitan, District, H&C and Circle) will have
similar levels of automation once their long delayed signalling upgrade is
complete.

The more interesting thing is the New Tube for London programme to replace
trains and signalling for the Picadilly, Central and Bakerloo lines that plans
for ATO without anyone aboard the train (at least where possible, various bits
where the lines are shared with other services will need human supervision).
But that's currently about a decade into the future, they're mostly still at
the planning stage, a report about it is at [http://content.tfl.gov.uk/ntfl-
feasibility-report.pdf](http://content.tfl.gov.uk/ntfl-feasibility-report.pdf)
(PDF).

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audessuscest
Paris has some since a few years

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jjoergensen
Copenhagen (Denmark) has as well

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tux1968
Vancouver, Canada has since 1985.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_\(Vancouver\))

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nkkollaw
What kind of journalist/writer doesn't know the difference between "it's" and
"its", and what kind of publication publishes an article with an error like
that _in the heading_..?!

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dimino
I _believe_ it's based in India, so probably people who don't speak English
natively.

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anexprogrammer
It's their offical language, along with Hindi. Many of the Indians I've known
have a much better formal command of the language than many native English!
Including myself.

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dimino
Making a language "official" doesn't make it your native language,
unfortunately.

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anexprogrammer
Oh FFS.

To stay on point it's a matter of ignorance not nativity. The article is crap
not because it is Indian, which is irrelevant, but because the domain is a
minimal effort blog that has no place on HN.

~~~
dimino
I'm sorry but that simply isn't true. Pretending like the English literacy
rate in India isn't 12% is silly and false.

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interfixus
The Copenhagen Metro has been running driverless since inception in 2002.
Functioning smoothly, with trains every few minutes, no delays woth
mentioning, and no serious incidents so far.

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dimino
[http://www.asianage.com/metros/kolkata/181216/kolkata-
metro-...](http://www.asianage.com/metros/kolkata/181216/kolkata-metro-to-be-
driverless-by-march-2018-yatish-kumar.html)

A much better source.

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Pamar
Turin (Italy) has a fully automated metro line (including doors operation)
since 2006, I believe.

~~~
johnchristopher
Do you have any data about delays ? If anything gets broken, does it get
faster to repair it ?

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Pamar
No hard data, sorry. I used it extensively until mid-2014 (I am now an expat)
and rarely experienced any delays due to technical problems.

"Rarely" means that I used it on average twice every day, including weekends,
and I cannot remember more than 3-4 cases where we had delays (from 2007 to
2014)

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boot13
Gibberish. How did this end up on the front page?

