Driverless trains to remain a pipe dream
- Source: Global Times
- [11:05 May 21 2010]
- Comments
By Zhang Cao
Shanghai Shentong Metro Group (SSMG) has denied that Line 2 will follow Line 10 in running driverless trains, after one of its suppliers expressed an interest in using its driverless train technology on Line 2.
Ansaldo STS, a technology company headquartered in Genoa, Italy, tabled the idea of using the technology on Line 2 while demonstrating its driverless train system at the 2010 Metro China Expo, a mass transit exhibition held in Shanghai, on Wednesday. Ansaldo STS currently supplies equipment for use on manned trains on Line 2.
Since it opened in April, Line 10 has been testing driverless train technology jointly supplied by Nanjing Nanchepuzhen Mass Transit Vehicles Company of China and Alstom Transport of France. It is the only line on the Shanghai Metro to use such technology.
Jin Jiamo, director of the general office of SSMG, told the Global Times Thursday that his company has no plan to use the unmanned driving system on any other metro lines. "It is just an idea fielded by the supplier," he said.
One expert said that SSMG will not consider expanding the use of driverless technology until the current trials on Line 10 have been completed to ensure it is safe.
"The unmanned system is very controversial. What if something goes wrong when the train is running underground in the dark? We can't guarantee safety," said Huang Zhong, an engineer with Shanghai Shentong Metro Research Company.
He added that, although Line 10 is using the technology, all trains still have drivers to monitor the system.
"Maybe we will stop using drivers on Line 10 after two years if the system goes well," said Huang. "But it is too early to discuss the system's use on other lines."
Another metro expert said that the unmanned driving system is actually safer than the manned system. "It can avoid disasters in certain situations, for example, if the driver is suddenly incapacitated," said a researcher surnamed Cai from the National Intelligent Transport Systems Center of Engineering and Technology based in Beijing.
