A thread for discussing capital and operational costs.
The Transit Costs Project is an international database of transit system project costs, run by the Marron Institute of Urban Management at New York University, USA.
Their latest report looks into traincrew staffing on trains, and categorises services into two-person crews, one-person crews or zero person crews (full automation).
International Traincrewing Practices
We looked at more than 400 individual subway and commuter rail lines in 36 cities in Canada, Spain, Korea, Singapore, France, Germany, Sweden, Czech Republic, China, Canada, Japan, Italy, Turkey, Denmark, and the United Kingdom and found that fewer than 6.25% of the systems we looked at currently use TPTO. The listed subway lines in Tokyo, for instance, are currently undergoing modernization improvements by 2030 that will enable One-Person Train Operations (OPTO) or even Zero-Person Train Operations (ZPTO).
(emphasis added, TPTO = two person train operation)
Every other subway line we examined had either OPTO or ZPTO, or had plans to upgrade to OPTO or ZPTO. OPTO predominates on commuter rail, too. We identified more commuter rail lines with TPTO than subway lines, but these are usually less modernized lines in smaller metropolitan areas. In contrast, the workhorse Parisian and German commuter rail systems use OPTO on trains that are longer and more crowded than the New York City Subway, and the commuter lines of London are a mix, transitioning toward OPTO. Leaner operations mean lower operating costs, which allow more frequent service and greater ridership.
(emphasis added, OPTO = one person train operation, ZPTO = zero person train operation).
Research report attached below
Train_Operations.pdf (547.7 KB)
I wouldn’t mind having OPO if that meant forcing the guards to either become drivers in their own right or making them do more passenger-facing duties, alongside more security staff to keep uncivil acts under control (smoking/vaping, unruly behaviour, etc)
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The bombshell London Underground plan to axe all drivers - Sadiq Khan sends £20billion warning
A professor has said not only is it possible to fully automate the Tube, but it’s already a reality in many cities worldwide
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