Unattended train automation is a widespread solution – 25 cities have opted for automated metros, in all 4 continents (fig. 1). The highest prevalence is in Asia and Europe (see fig. 2) but North America, and more recently South America and the Middle East are developing automated metro systems.
Figure 1: Cities with automated metro lines, as of 2011.
Figure 2: Geographic distribution of automated lines, as of 2011
Unattended train automation is a proven solution – UTO is associated to innovation, and the public belief is that it is a very recent development. However, the first UTO lines date from 1981. With 30 years of operating experience, automated systems have proven their maturity and accumulated extensive operating experience.
Key figures – There are currently 588 km of automated metro in operation, in 41 lines that together serve 585 stations. Some of the longest metro lines in the world are actually automated (see figure 4).
Of the 25 cities with automated metros, 13 have more than one automated line: Barcelona, Busan, Copenhagen, Dubai, Kobe, Lille, Nuremberg, Paris, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Toulouse and Vancouver.
