Beiruting News

Transport for London (TfL) have recently unveiled plans for 250 new "driverless" Tube trains as part of an upgrade that could cost about £16bn
The new trains, which have been designed by London's Priestman Good, will initially have an operator on board but will be designed to be fully autonomous. The space freed up from lack of an operator means that passengers can enjoy the view from the front of the train, something that has yet to be possible



However, the decision to go driverless has outraged the RMT union, with general secretary of the union, Mick Cash, saying in a statement:
"RMT has made it clear repeatedly that any moves towards the lethal and cash driven nonsense of removing drivers on London Underground would be resisted through the most robust industrial and political campaign of opposition."TfL defended the decision by explaining that no driver would lose their job and that automation is still as far away as 2030. The plans to switch to driverless carriages will be phased in slowly and appropriately.TfL is preparing for the growth of London's population, which is expected to rise from around 8.4 million people today to an estimated 10 million by 2030. The trains are part of what Mayor Boris Johnson has called the "New Tube for London", the plans for which claim will increase the passenger capacity by thousands.London Underground said the trains would improve capacity by:

• The Central line by 25% (the equivalent of up to 12,000 customers per hour)
• The Bakerloo line by 25% (the equivalent of up to 8,000 customers per hour)
• The Waterloo & City line by 50% (the equivalent of up to 9,000 customers per hour)
• The Piccadilly line by 60% (the equivalent of up to 19,000 customers per hour)

Doors will be much larger than the current models, allowing faster and more dense boarding and unboarding. The carriages will be "walk-through" meaning that you can walk from the front of the train to the back and a passive air conditioning system will be in place.The trains are expected to have a lifetime of about 40 years and so they must face not only the current problems experienced on the Underground but they must also be built futureproof to ensure that the high cost of the upgrade goes to good use. The first train is expected to be adopted on the Piccadilly Line in 2022.Source: [Transport for London]