Metro cancels plans to bring back automated trains

[davinp]

Weighed down by myriad rebuilding projects and safety priorities, Metro quietly cancelled plans to restore the automated operation of trains, despite having spent $106 million to replace more than 1,700 track circuits of the same model implicated in the 2009 Red Line crash at Fort Totten.

http://wamu.org/story/17/04/06/metro-sh ... ed-trains/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MCL1981]

Typical metro PR stunt. Still pretending the 2009 crash was caused by an ATO failure.

[Chris Brown]

The incompetence, inefficiency and general stupidity at Metro continues to defy comprehension.

Eights years ago now was the 2009 crash. Eight years. Almost a decade.

A decade to fix ATO? Absurd!

[STrRedWolf]

Eight years to fix ATO... and how long has Wiederfield been on the job?

My guess is that Wiederfield cut it until they could get the basics (signalling and rails) in good repair and kept there.

[MCL1981]

I would love to know what is actually wrong today. The red line crash in 2009 had nothing at all to do with ATO. It was track circuits causing ATP to fail. Which applies whether you're using ATO or not. The accident would have happened exactly the same whether they were using ATO or manual. It's a PR stunt to pretend the system is safer in manual. Just like bellying the 1000s was a PR stunt to pretend they're safer now.

[Chris Brown]

Eight years to fix ATO... and how long has Wiederfield been on the job?

My guess is that Wiederfield cut it until they could get the basics (signalling and rails) in good repair and kept there.

Should of been fixed long before Wiedefeld. In fact, it should of been fixed before Obama's second term.

[STrRedWolf]

I would love to know what is actually wrong today. The red line crash in 2009 had nothing at all to do with ATO. It was track circuits causing ATP to fail. Which applies whether you're using ATO or not. The accident would have happened exactly the same whether they were using ATO or manual. It's a PR stunt to pretend the system is safer in manual. Just like bellying the 1000s was a PR stunt to pretend they're safer now.

Whoa whoa whoa! ATO uses ATP to know what's going on the rail and where cars are. In essence, ATO *IS* the operator, and if ATP isn't up to snuff, it makes no sense to turn on ATO -- similar accidents are going to happen again.

Besides, ATP can't control a train going slower than 15 MPH, and there's no backup system. WMATA has a need to control trains down to 10 MPH, and they're still doing repairs on everything. Their ATP is broken by design.

Will we see ATO come back on board? Yes, when PTC comes on board. Anytime soon? Not at all.

[Sand Box John]

"STrRedWolf"

Besides, ATP can't control a train going slower than 15 MPH, and there's no backup system. WMATA has a need to control trains down to 10 MPH, and they're still doing repairs on everything. Their ATP is broken by design.

ATP does control a train down to below 15 MPH. When ATP is enabled it can only be overridden after first coming to a complete stop.

[MCL1981]

The operator in manual would have been responding to the same speed command that ATO was responding to. 55mph. ATO did not cause the crash.

[MattW]

I would love to know what is actually wrong today. The red line crash in 2009 had nothing at all to do with ATO. It was track circuits causing ATP to fail. Which applies whether you're using ATO or not. The accident would have happened exactly the same whether they were using ATO or manual. It's a PR stunt to pretend the system is safer in manual. Just like bellying the 1000s was a PR stunt to pretend they're safer now.

Whoa whoa whoa! ATO uses ATP to know what's going on the rail and where cars are. In essence, ATO *IS* the operator, and if ATP isn't up to snuff, it makes no sense to turn on ATO -- similar accidents are going to happen again.

Besides, ATP can't control a train going slower than 15 MPH, and there's no backup system. WMATA has a need to control trains down to 10 MPH, and they're still doing repairs on everything. Their ATP is broken by design.

Will we see ATO come back on board? Yes, when PTC comes on board. Anytime soon? Not at all.

PTC? What does that have anything to do with Metro?

[Sand Box John]

"MattW"
PTC? What does that have anything to do with Metro?

Nothing. An individual on reddit.com tried to insert PTC into the discussion on this issue. I and another shot him down because WMATA's train board ATP does everything PTC does.