Automatic train operation
Panel of MTR SP1950 EMU, capable of running ATO
Automatic train operation (ATO) is an operational safety enhancement device used to help automate operations of trains. Mainly, it is used on automated guideway transits and rapid transit systems which are easier to ensure safety of humans. Most systems elect to maintain a driver (train operator) to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies.
Many modern systems are linked with Automatic Train Control (ATC) and in many cases Automatic Train Protection (ATP) where normal signaller operations such as route setting and train regulation are carried out by the system. The ATO and ATC/ATP systems will work together to maintain a train within a defined tolerance of its timetable. The combined system will marginally adjust operating parameters such as the ratio of power to coast when moving and station dwell time, in order to bring a train back to the timetable slot defined for it.
Contents
1 Types of train automation
2 Notable examples
2.1 Urban passenger railways
2.2 Freight railways
3 Future
4 See also
5 References
Types of train automation
The two white ATO start buttons beside the power/brake lever in a Tokyo Metro 10000 series train, corresponding to GoA 2 operation
According to the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), there are five Grades of Automation (GoA) of trains:[1][2]
- GoA 0 is on-sight train operation, similar to a tram running in street traffic.
- GoA 1 is manual train operation where a train driver controls starting and stopping, operation of doors and handling of emergencies or sudden diversions.
- GoA 2 is semi-automatic train operation (STO) where starting and stopping is automated, but a driver operates the doors, drives the train if needed and handles emergencies. Many ATO systems are GoA 2.
- GoA 3 is driverless train operation (DTO) where starting and stopping are automated but a train attendant operates the doors and drives the train in case of emergencies.
- GoA 4 is unattended train operation (UTO) where starting and stopping, operation of doors and handling of emergencies are fully automated without any on-train staff.
Notable examples
Urban passenger railways
- On the London Underground, the Victoria, Central, Northern, and Jubilee lines run with ATO. The Victoria line, opened in 1968, was the world's first full scale automatic railway and also the first to have an ATO system replaced. The Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines are currently being modernised with a brand new automatic train control system.
- The Glasgow Subway has been using ATO since 1980.
- The PATCO Speedline between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Lindenwold, New Jersey, opened its first segment in 1969 as the first ATO line in the United States. (The Expo Express, which ran during the World's Fair Expo 67 in Montreal, was the first in North America.)
- On the MTR Network in Hong Kong, all lines operated by MTR Corporation have run with ATO since 1979. The former KCR East Rail Line network has used ATO since 2002.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), opened in 1972, was the first new metro system with multiple lines built with ATO.- The Vancouver SkyTrain in Vancouver, British Columbia, is an automated and driverless system commissioned in 1985.
- On the Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore), all lines operating currently run with ATO since 1987.
- All of the lines on the Docklands Light Railway in London have been using ATO (GoA 3) since it opened in 1987.
- On the Nuremberg U-Bahn, existing U2 and new U3 lines converted to ATO, with one-year mix service.[3]
- On the Barcelona Metro, the L9 (as Europe's longest driverless line), L10 and L11 run with ATO.
- The Tren Urbano, which serves the San Juan metropolitan area, has a Siemens ATC system that allows for fully automatic operation.[4]
- On the Milan Metro, the M1 Red Line runs with ATO.[5]
São Paulo Metrô, Line 4, opened 2010, is the first system operating GoA 4 in South America.- On the New York City Subway, the BMT Canarsie Line (L train) began full ATO in June 2012.[6][7]IRT Flushing Line (7 and <7> trains) are undergoing track and signal modernization, with completion in 2018.[8]
- On the Thameslink railway in the core section between St. Pancras and Blackfriars[9]
- The trains on Dubai metro dont have a driver, neither do the trains on AnsaldoBreda Driverless Metro and some trains of the Rome Metro[10]
Aerotrain (KLIA) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is an automatic train.
Freight railways
- The Rio Tinto Group "AutoHaul" system on its iron ore railways in the Pilbara which has begun trial operations (with a driver monitoring) and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2018.[11] In October 2017 the first fully autonomous test took place over a 100 kilometres (62 mi) section.[12] The group was granted accreditation by Australia’s Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator, approving the autonomous operation of iron ore trains in the Pilbara region of Western Australia[13].
Future
Many railways are planning on using ATO. ATO was introduced on the London Underground's Northern line in 2013 and will be introduced on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines by 2022. Although ATO will be used on Crossrail and Thameslink, it has not yet been implemented on UK mainline railways. The U-Bahn in Vienna gets an ATO in 2023 on the new U5 line. All lines being built for the new Sydney Metro will feature driverless operation without any attended staff present. The Toronto Subway and RT is undergoing signal upgrades in order to switch to have the system running on ATO over the next decade.[14] ATO (AVV system) is in everyday operation on Czech Railways lines since 1991, since 2008 also in test operation with ETCS. The Delhi Metro officials have stated that driverless trains with advanced features will run on the Botanical Garden - Kalkaji corridor with trial runs planned for the last week of July 2016 and the trains being operated on the route from August 2016 onwards. Initially, drivers will be deputed to operate the trains but they will be gradually withdrawn said a metro official.[15]
See also
- List of automated urban metro subway systems
- Automation of the London Underground
Communications-based train control – A moving block signalling system that can be used to automate operation of trains
One-man operation – A method of train operation, sometimes seen as an intermediate step towards greater automation- Personal Rapid Transit
- Autonomous car
- Guided bus
References
^ International Association of Public Transport. "A global bid for automation: UITP Observatory of Automated Metros confirms sustained growth rates for the coming years" (PDF). Belgium..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Elisabeth Fischer (23 August 2011). "Justifying automation". Railway-Technology.com.
^ "Driverless operations start in Nürnberg". Railway Gazette International. Archived from the original on 2009-07-01.
^ www.railway-technology.com Tren Urbano Rapid Transit System, Puerto Rico - Accessed 2011-07-12
^ "Linea M1, nuovo sistema di regolazione della circolazione ATM, Azienda Trasporti Milanesi". www.atm.it.
^ New York City Transit - History and Chronology Archived October 19, 2002, at the Wayback Machine.
^ "MTA L Train Response to Squadron" (PDF) (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
^ "New York Flushing Line CBTC contract awarded". Railway Gazette. 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
^ Ward, Victoria (2018-03-26). "First self-drive train launched on mainline track". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
^ "Rome's subway: the eternal project". 17 April 2016 – via Japan Times Online.
^ "Rio Tinto has confirmed that it is on track to completely transition to driverless trains across its entire Pilbara operation by the end of 2018". iseekplant.com.au. July 20, 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^ "Rio Tinto operates first fully-autonomous test train". Railway Gazette. October 2, 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
^ Ltd, DVV Media International. "Rio Tinto's automated trains approved". Railway Gazette. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
^ Wheeler, Charles (2008-12-17). "Yonge Subway Extension – Recommended Concept/Project Issues" (PDF). TTC.
^ Rajput, Abhinav (April 28, 2016). "South Delhi-Noida direct Metro connectivity by August". HT Media Limited. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
