Driverless trains

Resisting the Tories' long-term plan to impose driverless trains on London Underground in order to weakent he unions and save money at the expense of passenger safety.

Driverless Nightmare

Lest we forget, while we continue our day-to-day battles with management, behind the scenes they continue to prepare to introduce driverless trains.

And in case anyone believes the hype that they are 'safe', read this report of a toddler being separated from his mum on a driverless Metro train in Sydney last week.

Incentivised by a financial squeeze on operating costs while government grants remain available for capital investment, TfL top bosses have their eyes on a future without those pesky drivers. We have heard little of it over the last couple of years, but we can be sure that the Tories will make more and more of an issue of driverless trains (and nicking our Nominee Passes) in the run-up to next year's Mayor and GLA elections.

The daftest thing for us to do would be to hold off on fighting driverless trains until they have been designed, manufactured and delivered. Let the shocking incident in Sydney remind us of the need to fight this now.

More Secret Trials On The Jubilee Line?

New equipment has been put on some Jubilee Line trains that allows management, controllers and maintainers to get near live info from the trains equipment. It is transmitted via station WiFi. It would probably feel less like being spied on had we been told what was being done, before it was done....

Fully Automated Trains

On 18th January, LUL sent out an ‘invitation to tender’ to a shortlist of suppliers for new trains for the Central, Piccadilly, Waterloo and City and Bakerloo Lines, due to come into service in the early 2020s.

It says, ‘ When the New Tube for London enters service, it will have an operator...

DLR Shut Down as Solid Strike Bites Back

Nothing is moving on the DLR this morning as workers hit back against their new employers' clampdown.

Pickets at Beckton and Poplar have kept the strike solid and cranked up the pressure on management to back off from their attacks on the workforce. Since taking over the contract, Keolis Amey...

Obstruction On the Track?

London Underground tried to trial front facing cameras on Victoria Line trains - to detect obstructions on the track, to help it eliminate the need for a driver on the front. But Vic Line drivers were having none of it.

Train ops have been refusing to allow this equipment in the cab, knowing it...

Major safety incident at Mile End

On Saturday 26 July, the Central Line was suspended after masonry fell on the track at Mile End.

Yep, that's right, masonry. Large, heavy, blocks of concrete. There is some indication the incident was caused by vibration from work being done on the track.

RMT's Trains Health and Safety Council has...

Unattended Train Operation

LU has formally invited companies to bid for the contract to "design, manufacture, test and commission" new Tube trains.

LU has specified that it wants companies with experience of delivering unattended train operation (UTO), i.e. not just no driver in the cab, but no crew on the train at all!...

Trains Hit Each Other: Management Talk It Down

On 1 May, between East Putney and Southfields, two District Line S stock trains clattered into each other - or, in management-speak, "came into slight contact".

The cause? The tracks in the area had moved. Again in management-speak, this was a "slight movement", but if it was enough to cause two...

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.