WASHINGTON (AP) — Metro says it is bringing back computer-driven trains to the red line, five years after the system failed and caused a fatal crash.
Metro General Manager Richard Sarles tells The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/ZxgpQH ) that starting in October, automatic train operation will resume on a half-dozen red line trains during non-peak hours. By March, all red line trains will be driven by computers.
Drivers remain in train cabs to operate doors and watch for trouble. But the automatic system is a smooth-ride feature that keeps trains on time. It’s a feature of most modern subways.
Sarles says it’s an important milestone in Metro’s progress since a 2009 crash. That’s when the system failed, and Metro switched to manual operations.
Metro hopes to restore computer-driven trains on all lines within three years.
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
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