Metro to vote on driverless trains, platform barriers on Red Line

Metro could start running trains without an operator behind the controls.

It might sound crazy, but did you know this is already a thing on a number of subway lines across the world?

Take the Copenhagen Metro, for example. It’s driverless, and there’s no operator on board. And right in our backyard, the Dulles AeroTrain, runs entirely on its own.

This is known as Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4) — that’s the highest level of trains that run automatically, meaning they’re capable of Unattended Train Operation.

This Thursday, Metro’s board of directors will vote on a plan that would start the process of bringing GoA4 to the entire Red Line potentially by 2032.

That would also mean a huge change coming to certain Red Line stations: Platform screen doors, which would only open when a train is servicing the station.

Metro says these doors would do a few things. They would prevent any accidents happening, like somebody falling on the tracks when platforms are super crowded. They would also allow trains to enter the stations much faster.

Even though Metro could potentially be installing the technology that would allow driverless trains, they have not said anything about what would happen to the hundreds of human train operators they currently have.

In previous discussions, Metro has floated the idea of having a train attendant on board driverless trains to ensure safety and interact with customers.

The union that represents Metro’s train operators told News4, in part, “The human element is essential for maintaining a safe system. Had it not been for our dedicated transit professionals acting bravely in the face of danger, WMATA’s historic tragedies could have been far worse.”