do london underground trains have drivers

Do London Underground trains have drivers? All London Underground trains are currently either operated manually (when a train driver controls starting and stopping, the operation of doors and handling of emergencies) or in semi-automatic mode (when starting and stopping is automated, but a driver operates the doors and drives the train if needed).

Full Answer

Will there be driverless Tube trains in London?

The New Tube for London programme will include driverless tube trains. However these will initially have a driver on board until old stock has been fully replaced (i.e. Grade of Automation level 2, currently used on ATO-equipped lines).

How long does it take to become a London Underground driver?

TUBE DRIVER TRAINING. Once they have the job, training to become a London Underground Train Driver is currently almost 6 months. Training outside of London can take up to 12 months. Training covers hands-on driver training with an instructor, driving theory and safety training. You will have to complete a Personal Track Safety Certificate,...

Can I work as a train driver on the London Underground?

London Underground has very different working conditions from train driving positions with surface railways. Shift work will certainly be part of your working conditions and should be accepted from the outset.

How long does it take to become a train driver UK?

TUBE DRIVER TRAINING. Once they have the job, training to become a London Underground Train Driver is currently almost 6 months. Training outside of London can take up to 12 months. Training covers hands-on driver training with an instructor, driving theory and safety training.

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Does the tube have drivers?

The New Tube for London programme will include driverless tube trains. However these will initially have a driver on board until old stock has been fully replaced (i.e. Grade of Automation level 2, currently used on ATO-equipped lines).

Which Tube line is driverless?

Some Underground lines – the Northern, Central, Jubilee and Victoria, the latter since 1968 – are already largely automatic. Yet they also have a “driver” at the front who manually opens and closes the doors and performs some other functions.

What do underground train drivers do?

Alternative titles for this job include Engine driver, London Underground driver, Eurostar driver, tube driver. Train drivers operate trains on the rail network, carrying passengers and freight around the country.

Are there trains without drivers?

The first fully automated driverless mass-transit rail network is the Port Island Line in Kobe, Japan. The second in the world (and the first such driverless system in Europe) is the Lille Metro in northern France.

Do Tube trains need drivers?

All London Underground trains are currently either operated manually (when a train driver controls starting and stopping, the operation of doors and handling of emergencies) or in semi-automatic mode (when starting and stopping is automated, but a driver operates the doors and drives the train if needed).

How much does a London tube driver earn?

For the calendar year 2019 to the end of October, or alternatively the latest available date. 1, The highest total remuneration received by a Tube driver 2, The number receiving total remuneration of over: A, £100,000; B, £80,000; and then C, between £70,000 to £80,000; and D, between £60,000 and £70,000.

How do Tube drivers go to the loo?

What happens if you need to use the toilet? "You can take a PNR (or Personal Needs Relief). There are drivers toilets at a handful of platforms across the network which can be accessed with a [sic] what is known as a J Door Key, whilst the ladies toilets have their own special key only given to female members of staff.

Why do Tube drivers earn so much?

Read More. A spokeswoman for Transport for London (TfL) said three per cent of drivers earn total remuneration of more than £70,000, largely because they are "highly skilled test drivers and instructors". Total remuneration includes base pay and employer pension contributions.

Can Tube drivers listen to music?

But, there is one thing a driver is completely forbidden from doing - using any electronic device. That includes listening to music, even if it's "softly" and in "one ear" as one Redditor asked on a recent Tube driver Ask Me Anything.

Do we have driverless trains in UK?

New trains designed by Siemens and scheduled to be introduced from 2025 will have fully driverless capability. The new Elizabeth Line can be driverless when it operates in London.

Does the UK have driverless trains?

London tube is already kinda automated The Docklands Light Railway has operated driverless trains since 1987. Although, it still has a trained human operator on board the train to handle customer service, ticket checking and to take control in the event of an emergency.

Do subway trains have drivers?

The MTA's agreement with the Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents subway and bus workers, requires two employees on most subway trains: a driver and a conductor, who opens and closes the doors. Only the weekend G and M trains and a few shuttles use just a driver.

Is the Elizabeth line driverless?

This software means the trains can reverse themselves between Paddington and a turnback siding near Westbourne Park autonomously as the driver walks from the front driving cab back to the rear driving cab.

Is the Victoria line driverless?

The Victoria line is operated using automatic train operation, but all trains have drivers. The 2009 Tube Stock replaced the original 1967 Tube Stock trains.

Is the Jubilee line automated?

Signalling system Since 2011, the Jubilee line has automatic train operation (ATO), using the SelTrac S40 moving block system. This provides capacity for 30 trains per hour.

Are tubes driverless?

London tube is already kinda automated The Docklands Light Railway has operated driverless trains since 1987. Although, it still has a trained human operator on board the train to handle customer service, ticket checking and to take control in the event of an emergency.

How much would it cost to have driverless trains in London?

First brought to our attention by BBC London’s Tom Edwards, the report concludes that introducing “driverless” trains across the London Underground system would cost £7 billion and represent “poor value for money”. It also provides 26 pages of reasons why.

What is UTO in train?

Such operating systems are described as unattended train operation (UTO), and there are many examples of them round the world. UTO is, perhaps, the ideal towards which the London Underground should aspire in the mind of the Prime Minister and others.

What are the benefits of driverless conversion?

The TfL report says that “driverless” conversion could provide “significant customer benefits” in the form of improved safety, “ambience of the platform environment” and reliability, but that all of these can also be provided without going “driverless” more cost-effectively.

What is the UTO?

UTO is, perhaps, the ideal towards which the London Underground should aspire in the mind of the Prime Minister and others. What is stopping “driverless” trains or even full UTO operation coming to the Underground? There’s quite a list of reasons. Going “driverless” isn’t only about trains. It’s about changing many other things too.

Do DLR trains have drivers?

However, DLR trains still have somebody on board – a train attendant – who can operate the doors and drive the train if necessary. And those attendants, while not “drivers”, are nonetheless trade union members and who have gone on strike in the past.

Is there a driverless train in the London Underground?

For whole decades there has been talk of so-called “driverless” trains coming to the London Underground, and yet there are none on the network to this day. That hasn’t lessened the fuss and furore any mention of them creates.

Is Docklands Light Railway driverless?

A different part of the capital’s rail network, the Docklands Light Railway, is classified as automatic and as “driverless” in the sense that there is no cab at the front that someone sits in. However, DLR trains still have somebody on board – a train attendant – who can operate the doors and drive the train if necessary. And those attendants, while not “drivers”, are nonetheless trade union members and who have gone on strike in the past.

How many lines are there in the London Underground?

It is currently in use on six lines. Transport for London plans to extend this to remaining lines by 2023.

What lines are partially automatic trains on?

Current status. Partially-automated trains are used on four lines: ( Victoria, Jubilee, Central and Northern ). These trains still require operators to open and close the doors, and to assist in the event of an emergency. This method of working will be extended to the other lines by 2023 and will also be used on Thameslink and Crossrail .

Why were the doors on the train sealed?

The side doors to the driver's cab were sealed, so that access was normally through the passenger saloon. Since the trains were to be operated by one person, the door controls were moved from the rear end of the motor car into the cab.

When did the Docklands Light Railway open?

London's second rapid-transit system, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), has operated with driverless trains since its opening in 1987 . Boris Johnson promised in 2012 that there would be driverless Tube trains within 10 years.

Why would it be better to run the night tube?

It would enable easier running of the Night Tube, as drivers would not have to work anti-social hours and have to concentrate at times when they might be tired. Trains would not have to have a driver's compartment, reducing weight and the cost of building trains.

Who wrote that the Tube Lines were not built with escape routes for passengers?

Christian Wolmar has written that, as Tube lines were not built with escape routes for passengers, in an emergency the passengers must be led away from the train by staff; he argues that this means there must still be a "train captain" on board, negating some of the benefits of driverless trains.

Will there be a driverless train in London?

The New Tube for London programme will include driverless tube trains. However these will initially have a driver on board until old stock has been fully replaced (i.e. Grade of Automation level 2, currently used on ATO-equipped lines). Even then, they will still have "train captains" on board in case of emergency (i.e. Grade of Automation level 3, as used by the DLR), due to driver union opposition of fully automated, unattended trains (i.e. Grade of Automation level 4, as used by some lines of the Paris Métro ).

How long can a tube train driver work?

If it sounds like the kind of work that could get tiring, it is. That’s why a Tube train driver is only allowed to work up to four hours 15 minutes at a time, and then must take a break. This story is a part of BBC Britain – a new series focused on exploring this extraordinary island, one story at a time.

What controls do tube train drivers use?

The main controls on the console include the all-important ‘dead man’s handle’, which must be manually held in order for the train to move.

How fast can a tube train go?

Drivers control the Tube train’s speed, too. And they have to be careful, as there are speed limits. The maximum speed on the Piccadilly line is 45mph (72km/h). As the train approaches the end of the line, that limit creeps all the way down to 10mph (16km/h). When pulling into a platform, experience and training on their particular line is how drivers know where to start braking – but a sign at the end of every platform, showing the driver exactly where to stop, helps, too. And instead of one, there are two braking systems. One works with friction. The other is rheostatic, meaning that the motors’ electrical energy – which dissipates as heat – is cooled via a ‘braking grid’, a system of resistors on board which are protected with large cooling fans.

How many trips do tube drivers make a year?

The Tube drivers are on the front lines, responsible for ensuring that those 1.265 billion trips go safely each year.

How long has the Tube been around?

The Tube has been a key transport network for London for more than 150 years. We decided it was high time to explore it – by putting a GoPro on one of the drivers.

How did you become a train operator? Do you like your job?

You need to join the Underground and apply internally, as with all good jobs in the Underground. You used to be able to apply externally for Night Tube train operator then transfer to full time, but Night Tube train op is so popular internally now that their latest campaign is internal only.

How do you know where to stop at each station? Some kind of marker or is it just experience?

There is either a marker in the 4ft (between the rails on the floor), on the wall, or on a metal gate thing depending on which line/where you are.

How many people use the Tube every day?

It is estimated that around two million people set foot on a Tube every day - so that's a lot of responsibility.

Why do drivers wear masks?

Some drivers wear masks because of the dusk. I tried it but found it too annoying as I like to drink coffee and taking the mask on and off is a pain.

Is a line automated or manually driven?

Some lines are automated, some are manually driven. There is a stopping mark that tells you exactly where to stop...

Is there an equivalent to a Rail Traffic Control that you have to communicate with? And who does the maintenance on the track itself?

We have control rooms for each individual line which are staffed by line controllers. We then have a network wide control room called LUCC.

Where are driverless trains made?

The Rio Tinto Mining Company in Western Australia runs the world's largest network of driverless trains, with 1,700 km (1,100 mi) of freight railways run by an increasing number of completely unattended trains.

What was the first train to use ATO?

The first line to be operated with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) was London Underground 's Victoria line, which opened in 1967, although a driver is present in the cabin. Many lines now operate using an ATO system, with the aim of improving the frequency of service. Since then, ATO technology has been developed to enable trains to operate even without a driver in a cab: either with an attendant roaming within the train, or with no staff on board. The first fully automated driverless mass-transit rail network is the Port Island Line in Kobe, Japan. The second in the world (and the first such driverless system in Europe) is the Lille Metro in northern France.

How long is the Dubai metro?

The Dubai Metro is fully automated on all lines and is the 4th longest automated metro system in the world with 89.6 km (55.7 mi) in length.

Which country has the longest metro system?

Singapore has the longest automated metro system in the world with all of its Mass Rapid Transit lines having 4th grade automation (GoA4). It has had automated lines since 2003 and currently has 199 km (124 mi) of automated lines with an additional 43 km (27 mi) by 2024 with the completion of the new Thomson–East Coast line.

Who makes shunt moves?

All shunt moves are made by the drivers and whenever the train stops for fail safe reasons such as excess wheel spin or sliding the driver takes over; at other times trains are computer driven. ^ A member of staff opens & closes the train doors, drives the train on Sundays, fixes faults.

Can a GoA3 train run without a staff member?

In a GoA3 system, the train cannot operate safely without the staff member on board.

Overview

Benefits and drawbacks

• This would remove the possibility of strikes by drivers, which have caused widespread disruption, as well as the possibility of a driver being ill or otherwise unable to work at short notice. It would also save the cost of drivers' salaries and benefits.
• In Paris, automated metros have enabled trains to run every 85 seconds and this increase in services could be replicated on the Tube.

Historical projects

Current status

New Tube for London programme

See also

External links