For the first time in 15 years, a computer instead of a human will be the primary controller of riders' Metro trains.
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) — which oversees and enforces safety practices on the D.C. area’s Metrorail system — gave Metro the final approval to switch to an automatic train operation (ATO) system at a meeting Tuesday.
Train operators will still remain in the cab, but the trains will run essentially on cruise control.
ATO could mean more on-time trains, quicker speeds and an overall smoother ride, according to Metro’s website.
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Christopher Hart, the chair of WMSC, said the new system will improve efficiency and smoother braking.
“For example, the acceleration of the automated acceleration is smoother than manual acceleration, and that reduces energy costs,” Hart said in the meeting.
Metro first used ATO when it opened its doors to the public in 1976 but suspended ATO after the 2009 Metro crash, which killed nine people and injured another 80. The cause of the crash was later found to be a track defect, not ATO.
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Metro’s Red Line will be the first to get ATO, and the agency said it hopes to have that line up and running by the end of the year.
Train operators will be freed up to focus on the overall trip, Metro said.
“Going into automatic mode will regulate the speed of the train automatically so the operator can pay attention to conditions ahead of them,” said Tiffani Jenkins, the senior vice president of Communications and Signaling for WMATA.
Train operators can also pay attention to alerts that come in the console, she said.
General Manager Randy Clarke said Metro is running at a “very high level,” focusing on safety and reliability.
Train operators will always be able to switch into a manual controlled mode if they feel conditions call for it.
The rest of the Metro lines will be phased into ATO over the next year as operators are trained on the new system.
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