On 4 March Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), the operator of the Glasgow Subway, awarded contracts to the Stadler Bussnang AG / Ansaldo STS Consortium for the supply of new driverless trains, signalling and equipment.

The £200 million contract is part of the Subway Modernisation Programme. Once the new full system is in place – trains, signalling, operational control centre, platform screen doors – and it has been fully tested, the Subway will move from its current partially automatic trains to Unattended Train Operations (UTO).

Rolling stock
The dimensions of the Glasgow Subway are unique, and therefore the new trains will be the same length and size as existing rolling stock but will be a four-car set, as opposed to the current three-car set. Open gangways will maximise the space available and allow for wheelchair access. It is the first time that Stadler’s rolling stock will be part of a driverless metro system.

“The new Rolling stock will provide the travelling public with a much improved journey experience and the system will be more flexible in terms of frequency and availability”, said the SPT Chair, Jonathan Finlay.

The Subway’s signalling equipment, control systems and control centre will all be replaced. The platform screen doors will be ‘half height’.

The Glasgow Subway, inaugurated in 1896, is one of the world’s oldest metros.

Source:

SPT website news

Find out more about the Glasgow Subway Modernisation Programme here