First glimpse of driverless trains set for city Subway
AN IMAGE of Glasgow Subway’s driverless trains has been revealed ahead of their roll-out in 2020.
Swiss company Stadler won the contract to deliver 17 underground trains for the SPT back in March 2016.
A picture posted on Twitter has shown the swanky new carriages – which will be able to reach a maximum speed of just over 36mph – under construction in Berlin last week.
As previously reported by the Evening Times, the new trains will be the first in the UK to run with no staff on board.
The initiative is part of a £288million overhaul of Glasgow’s Subway system.
Test tracks near Ibrox Stadium will be the first site where trials are to be held by the end of the year before the new trains enter service in the city at the end of 2020.
They will initially operate with drivers on board, but full automation is expected to follow in 2021 – incidentally, the 125th anniversary of the city’s underground system.
Stadler officials called the contract “a milestone”, adding: “It marks the first time that the company’s rolling stock will be used in a driverless underground system.”
Glasgow Subway is the fourth oldest subway system in the world, after London, Liverpool and Budapest.
It consists of a running circle measuring 10.5km in length and has 15 stations.
The Glasgow Subway system, which dates back to Victorian times, is also the world’s smallest underground network. The new trains will be the same length as the existing rolling stock which they are about to replace – 39 metres – but they will be made up of four-car sets, as opposed to the current threecar sets.
They will also feature an open design with a large proportion of standing room to maximise the space available and improve accessibility for people with limited mobility.