London's Underground Metro to get an upgrade, featuring driveless trains - Polidicks

[IMG]http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/e1343e662752209389ab5da5b50ca247/200893342/tubedesign.jpg[/IMG] [video=youtube;Z3Q0FZUKHkY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Q0FZUKHkY[/video] [QUOTE]The Mayor and London Underground (LU) today revealed stunning new designs for the 'New Tube for London' - the next generation of Underground trains, which will come in to service from the mid-2020s. The New Tube will be introduced first on the Piccadilly line, followed by the Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City lines. Its innovative design will also allow for air-cooling for the first time on deep-level sections of the Tube. The train - designs for which are part of a new public exhibition at King's Cross St Pancras Underground station - also features improved accessibility, with step free access from the platform as well as walk-through carriages and wider doors. The introduction of new trains and a better Tube service will help the Underground keep pace with London's rapidly rising population and support the city's economy. The building of the 250 new trains, which will feature attractive internal styling that echoes the Underground's heritage, will also help to support new jobs and growth elsewhere in the UK. Transport for London's (TfL) team has been working with transport design specialists PriestmanGoode to ensure that there was a balance between the design and function of a train that will serve London for decades to come, and respect the world-renowned and instantly recognisable design heritage of London Underground. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: `These innovative, eye-catching and sleek new trains will be vital for the continued modernisation of London Underground. From Greenford to Gants Hill, from Alperton to Arnos Grove, they will ferry millions of people across our city, more comfortably, reliably and stylishly than ever before. The New Tube marks a significant step forward in giving Londoners and visitors the accessible and modern transport service that they expect and deserve.These beautiful, air-cooled machines represent the best of British design and innovation. They will help to keep London and its economy moving in the right direction.` Mike Brown MVO, Managing Director of London Underground said: `The New Tube for London will change the face of travel on the Underground. The faster, more frequent and more reliable services it will enable will help us keep pace with London's growing population. The design respects the past but also looks to the future with the very latest technology; including walk-through carriages and wider doors to enable people to get on and off quickly and air-cooling for the first time on the deep level lines. `Londoners are already seeing huge improvements on the Tube network, with faster and more frequent journeys on the Jubilee and Victoria lines, the modernisation of the Northern line nearing completion this year, and new walk-through, air-cooled trains on the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and part of the District lines. The New Tube will take the improvements to the next level.` The trains will serve London for more than 40 years and will be designed and built to be capable of fully automatic operation. When the new trains first enter service they will have an operator on board. Along with modernised signal systems operating alongside them, the trains will enable faster, more frequent and reliable services with fewer delays, as well as providing greater capacity on all four lines: The Central line by 25 per cent (the equivalent of up to 12,000 customers per hour); The Bakerloo line by 25 per cent (the equivalent of up to 8,000 customers per hour); The Waterloo & City line by 50 per cent (the equivalent of up to 9,000 customers per hour);and, The Piccadilly line by 60 per cent (the equivalent of up to 19,000 customers per hour). Paul Priestman, Designer and Co-founding Director of PriestmanGoode, said: `London's Tube is one of the most iconic trains around the world. We are proud to have designed something that is part of the very fabric of London life, celebrating all that's great about London's environment; cutting edge technology, rich history and diversity. The New Tube for London will take the city into the future by enriching the everyday journey of its passengers.` The New Tube for London exhibition is at King's Cross St Pancras Underground station, Northern ticket hall, from Thursday 9 October until Sunday 16 November. The exhibition features images of the New Tube design, including a fly-through film, giving Londoners a glimpse into the future. A formal Invitation to tender is expected to be issued in early 2015 and a contract to build the new trains to be awarded in 2016. The first train is expected to come into service on the Piccadilly line in 2022. [/QUOTE] [url]https://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2014/october/design-for-the-new-tube-for-london-revealed[/url] Driveless trains aren't really a new thing, but this is the London tube, and it looks kinda futuristic.

Looks cool as shit.

That is some space-tier shit going on. Looks pretty damn impressive.

Means less stopping power when someone jumps on the tracks.

Those are gonna look weird considering how most of the platforms look.[QUOTE=Twistai;46191126]Means less stopping power when someone jumps on the tracks.[/QUOTE] No traumatised driver too I guess

This is some Disney Imagineering shit.

if only they didn't call it the metro because it's not a metro damn it

wow i bet the unions are gonna love this

[QUOTE=Medevila;46191209]The DC Metro is only now moving out of the 70's and into the 90's.. [/QUOTE] Tell this to Moscow metro. More then half of it's cars still look like this [t]http://vagon.metro.ru/photos/81-717-01.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE=codenamecueball;46191406]wow i bet the unions are gonna love this[/QUOTE] I'm willing to bet that all the frequent strikes are what caused them to consider driverless trains.

As someone that works in Process Automation as a consultant, this is progression, but with any industry, further automation leads to less jobs required and overall the human element becoming redundant which is good in many aspects (cheaper running costs, greater efficiency) But there's no jobs to take the place of the ones that are lost for humans. As i have said in a previous post, eventually the world will have to accept that jobs\careers will be for the most part irrelevant, especially when the robotics industry catches up and replaces manual labor. If you don't have a job, you don't many any money, so capitalism will essentially be redundant if there's not enough jobs to sustain the available workforce. List of automated urban metro subway systems: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automated_urban_metro_subway_systems[/url] It won't be long until there are driverless taxi's and cars.

Man that is one sexy as fuck design.

does it automatically clean piss?

[QUOTE=Killergam;46191580]As someone that works in Process Automation as a consultant, this is progression, but with any industry, further automation leads to less jobs required and overall the human element becoming redundant which is good in many aspects (cheaper running costs, greater efficiency) But there's no jobs to take the place of the ones that are lost for humans. As i have said in a previous post, eventually the world will have to accept that jobs\careers will be for the most part irrelevant, especially when the robotics industry catches up and replaces manual labor. If you don't have a job, you don't many any money, so capitalism will essentially be redundant if there's not enough jobs to sustain the available workforce. List of automated urban metro subway systems: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automated_urban_metro_subway_systems[/url] It won't be long until there are driverless taxi's and cars.[/QUOTE] The current socio-economical system is unsustainable globally with automation or without it. Automation is just another wrench thrown into the cogs.

The future is coming :v: I hope we start to see new stuff like this in Melbourne too. Nothing too bad about our current trains, but it's pretty atrocious during peak hours.

no more burger king, piss and sweat?

We've had driverless trains for a while (a bit above 10 years) here in Copenhagen, and they're pretty nice. The seats aren't great, but they're almost always on time, and it's pretty cool sitting in the front (or back), thought he novelty wears off: [IMG]http://2gocopenhagen.com/sites/default/files/Copenhagen%20Metro.jpg[/IMG]

But the most important question has yet to be asked: will there be onboard WiFi? When will the big government officials realise that all I want to do on the tube is cuddle with my waifu...

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;46191706]We've had driverless trains for a while (a bit above 10 years) here in Copenhagen, and they're pretty nice. The seats aren't great, but they're almost always on time, and it's pretty cool sitting in the front (or back), thought he novelty wears off: [IMG]http://2gocopenhagen.com/sites/default/files/Copenhagen%20Metro.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] Sitting in the front of the driverless Docklands Light Railway trains in London is cool, great views of Canary Wharf as you leave London center.

Are they programmed to go on strike every other week?

[QUOTE=AK'z;46191668]no more burger king, piss and sweat?[/QUOTE] No more roasting to death in the boiling heat.

[QUOTE=Amiga OS;46191694]I give it all of a week before they are haggered and revolting inside.[/QUOTE] The current automatic trains on the tube line look fine, and the ones that run on the main lines, despite their age - still look good too. Or are you just talking shit?

By "transport heritage" do they mean refusal to update the god awful upholstery design that we've been using for like fifty years? tbh im so used to seeing it i spose it isnt that bad

[QUOTE=ZombieDawgs;46191918]The current automatic trains on the tube line look fine, and the ones that run on the main lines, despite their age - still look good too. Or are you just talking shit?[/QUOTE] Can't speak greatly as I don't live in London though after the past 10 or so years I've used the tube several times, and it's certainly gotten better between each time.

[QUOTE=Killergam;46191580]As someone that works in Process Automation as a consultant, this is progression, but with any industry, further automation leads to less jobs required and overall the human element becoming redundant which is good in many aspects (cheaper running costs, greater efficiency) But there's no jobs to take the place of the ones that are lost for humans. As i have said in a previous post, eventually the world will have to accept that jobs\careers will be for the most part irrelevant, especially when the robotics industry catches up and replaces manual labor. If you don't have a job, you don't many any money, so capitalism will essentially be redundant if there's not enough jobs to sustain the available workforce. List of automated urban metro subway systems: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automated_urban_metro_subway_systems[/url] It won't be long until there are driverless taxi's and cars.[/QUOTE] Reminded me of this: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU[/media]

[QUOTE=codenamecueball;46191406]wow i bet the unions are gonna love this[/QUOTE] Back when the TTC was forced to install a driverless train on the Scarborough Line they threatened strike action unless it was made semi-automatic. The worlds then most advanced transit system was reduced to a guy sitting in a cab with a mirror and pushing a button to close the doors. It still drive itself but it no longer made financial sense to run the line on that something was not a subway or streetcar. Then there is Vancouver who has basically been perfecting automated transit for 30 years. Edited: Oh shit! [url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/alcatel-awarded-around-euro-450-million-london-tube-re-signalling-contract-155511155.html]Alcatel got the contract to upgrade the signalling system.[/url] This IS based off Canada's signalling technology!

[QUOTE=lintz;46191283]if only they didn't call it the metro because it's not a metro damn it[/QUOTE] Metropolitan high speed transport. What's not "metro" about it? Not to mention that metro's don't have make a distinction about above or underground.

Now if only New York City can get this sort of improvement. Might take some time though...maybe after the rest of the world gets improved subways.

[QUOTE=wraithcat;46192631]Metropolitan high speed transport. What's not "metro" about it? Not to mention that metro's don't have make a distinction about above or underground.[/QUOTE] You will never ever hear someone call it the metro. It's the tube or the underground.

I was always a fan of the doors at the edge of the platforms, so I'm glad to see them putting more in. Just helps to alleviate any niggling anxiety that I'm suddenly going to fall onto the track.