ASLEF dismisses PM’s driverless London Underground train claim

People will be using driverless cars to Barnard Castle before driverless trains operate on London Underground, claims ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan.

The leader of the drivers’ union was responding to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suggestion that driverless LU trains could be a condition of the emergency funding for Transport for London (TfL).

Johnson discussed the idea at the launch of construction of Siemens’ Goole factory, where the first tranche of new Deep Tube trains will be built for the Piccadilly Line (see page 15), although financial challenges faced by TfL means that the planned 250-strong order has yet to be confirmed while the signalling upgrade has also been delayed.

Johnson told ITV News: “You can run these trains without the need for somebody to be sitting in the driver’s cab the whole time.

“So, what I will be saying to the London Transport Authority is: let’s take advantage of this technological leap forward, let’s not be the prisoners of the unions any more, let’s go to driverless trains, and let’s make that a condition of the funding settlement for Transport for London this autumn.”

Whelan retorted: “Train drivers on London Underground have continued to work throughout this pandemic to make sure that fellow key workers can get to work and back. Now those very same workers are being treated with contempt and told they’re not needed.

“For the Prime Minister to claim that rail unions are holding the country as ‘prisoners’, after we’ve all worked closely with the Government and Department for Transport to keep our network working throughout the crisis, is nothing short of scandalous.”

ASLEF believes driverless trains on the LUL network are not viable, pointing out that even the Docklands Light Railway, which was purpose-built to be driverless, is staffed with a train captain who is able to drive the train if necessary.

“People will be taking driverless car journeys to Barnard Castle before a driverless Tube to Elephant and Castle,” said Whelan.

ASLEF’s LU organiser Finn Brennan highlighted that slashing government funding to TfL means signalling upgrades necessary for such trains is unaffordable.