Driverless trains on the London Underground have been firmly rejected by the city’s transport commissioner, Andy Lord. He stated that there is „no business case“ for transitioning to a fully automated Tube system, even as a drivers‘ strike looms next week, which may intensify calls from some politicians to automate the Underground in order to diminish the influence of Tube unions.
Members of the RMT union are set to strike starting at noon on Tuesday, April 21, for a duration of 24 hours, and will strike again from noon on Thursday, April 23, also for 24 hours. This action is expected to disrupt services on four weekdays.
Transport for London (TfL) has cautioned that if the strikes proceed as anticipated, significant disruption for passengers is likely. Sources within TfL indicated that no formal negotiations were scheduled to prevent the strikes, although discussions with union representatives are anticipated to take place on either Friday or Monday.
Despite the ongoing strike preparations, TfL has reiterated that all Tube trains, including the newly introduced Piccadilly line fleet, will continue to operate with drivers.
The RMT confirmed on Tuesday that the upcoming strike remains in effect, citing concerns regarding the implications of a four-day workweek for drivers, despite TfL’s insistence that the proposed changes to working conditions are voluntary.
In a recent appearance on the Green Signals railway podcast, Lord dismissed the idea of implementing driverless trains on the London Underground. He remarked, „We already have driverless trains – we have the DLR. But to introduce driverless trains on the Tube, there isn’t a business case for it.“ He elaborated that extensive research conducted at the request of the previous Conservative government demonstrated that the investment required for such a transition would far exceed any potential benefits.
Details on Upcoming RMT Strikes
The RMT has scheduled the following strike actions:
- April 21-22: 12:00 PM Tuesday to 11:59 AM Wednesday
- April 23-24: 12:00 PM Thursday to 11:59 AM Friday
- May 19-20: 12:00 PM Tuesday to 11:59 AM Wednesday
- May 21-22: 12:00 PM Thursday to 11:59 AM Friday
- June 16-17: 12:00 PM Tuesday to 11:59 AM Wednesday
- June 18-19: 12:00 PM Thursday to 11:59 AM Friday
Lord emphasized that TfL maintains a policy of ensuring that there is always a staff member on board each Tube train for customer service and emergency situations. He noted that transitioning to driverless trains would not result in any savings on staffing costs, and the necessary infrastructure upgrades would be substantial.
„We already have more than 60 percent of the Tube network operating automatically, so the advantages of moving to a fully driverless system are minimal in terms of return on investment,“ he stated. „I would prefer that we allocate resources to other areas that would yield more significant improvements. We have no plans to implement driverless trains on the Tube. Our focus should be on renewing infrastructure and rolling stock.“
Government Conditions and Future Plans
During the pandemic, the then-transport secretary Grant Shapps mandated that TfL gather evidence on the feasibility of driverless trains as a condition for one of its government bailouts. In a letter to Mayor Sadiq Khan in February 2022, Shapps remarked, „TfL’s record of modernization and innovation should not leave it behind other European networks, which are achieving significant operational efficiencies through driverless trains.“
In January of this year, Laila Cunningham, the London 2028 mayoral candidate for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, expressed her desire to automate the London Underground by eliminating drivers.
During his podcast interview, Lord highlighted that public transport usage in London has stabilized at approximately 92 percent of pre-COVID levels. This change is partly attributed to the rise in remote work, even as leisure travel has seen an uptick. He stated, „We need to incentivize people to come into London.“
He also noted that the expansion of London’s cycling network, which has grown to over 400 kilometers since 2016, now surpasses the length of the Tube network.
Regarding potential expansions at Heathrow Airport, Lord indicated that any new terminal or runway would necessitate funding for a new signaling system on the Piccadilly line to facilitate increased train frequencies of up to 20 trains per hour to the airport.
Challenges Ahead for TfL
Lord mentioned that TfL is striving to introduce the first of the new Piccadilly line trains by December, although he acknowledged the challenges involved. He warned passengers to anticipate disruptions during the transition from the existing fleet of trains, which date back to 1973, to the new models.
„Temporary transitional arrangements“ will be necessary for a period of two to three years, during which TfL will endeavor to maintain step-free access wherever feasible.
Additionally, TfL plans to reduce the number of buses operating in central London as part of cost-cutting measures aimed at expediting remaining services. Lord stated, „We believe we have more capacity in inner central London than we need, which is contributing to longer journey times.“
Bildquelle: ai-generated-gemini
