Dublin may go for Driverless Trains Technology on Metro North

[Hornet]

Metro North may be built using the latest Technology, and with it dispensing with one of the most troublesome parts of Public Transport here in Dublin, the Driver.

http://www.herald.ie/news/metro-north-may-be-irelands-first-selfdriving-trains-35100214.html

The original plans for Metro North was for it to link up and traverse over the LUAS Green Line to Cherrywood (and eventually to Bray), until the economy tanked. The revised Metro North plan would make it a stand alone system.

Transport chiefs are considering using self-drive technology on the long-awaited Metro North, the Herald has learned.

The high-speed rail link, which will run between Swords and the city centre, was first proposed in 2000 and was shelved in 2011. A scaled-back version was unveiled last year, with a budget of €10bn.
Construction is not due to begin on the network until 2021 and is not expected to be finished until 2026/2027.
Documents seen by the Herald show that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) are considering technology which would remove the need for drivers.
Peter Walsh, director of TII's capital programme management, said: "TII is currently working in partnership with the NTA in the development of the planning and design of the new Metro North project. As part of that work, the possibilities of using a driverless system are being considered."
His comments were included in a letter to councillors who sit on Dublin City Council's transport Strategic Policy Committee (SPC). The letter also addressed a query raised by councillors previously about ensuring that new Luas stock was fitted with automated driving technology.

 

[DT611]

It will never be built. At least not in our lifetimes anyway.