Metro plans to return to automatic train operation (ATO) for the first time in 15 years by the end of the year, which the transit agency says will offer a smoother, quicker ride.
No Metro customer has ridden a train in ATO since 2009, when the transit agency turned it off following the horrific Red Line crash that killed nine – even though faulty track equipment and not the automatic system ultimately was blamed.
"The trips are going to be faster,” Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said. “So, I think this Red Line end-to-end is just over four minutes faster. So, overall giving someone two or three minutes back in their day, twice a day for most people, and if they do that every day, you just gained back, like, a workout in a week or something else."
After years of upgrading equipment and training operators, Metro says it is “operationally ready to use this system on the Red Line by the end of the year.”
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Automatic mode is the way Metro was designed and the way most large transit systems run.
Tiffany Jenkins with Metro's signaling department said the benefits of ATO go beyond just smooth, quicker rides on the rails.
“Going into automatic mode will regulate the speed of the train automatically,” she said. “So, the operator can pay attention to conditions ahead of them. They can pay attention to alerts that come on the console and they can react to those faster."
A train operator will always be in the cab even with a computer in control.
Metro's main safety watchdog, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, must sign off on the change. It said it’s reviewing Metro's plans to return to ATO and should have a response in the next week.
After rolling out ATO on the Red Line, Metro plans to follow with the other lines next year.
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