Why The Driverless Tube Trains Of The Future Can’t Come Soon Enough for Commuters

WITH the capital braced for more strike misery, the London commuters as one turn on the Tube drivers, and their bosses’ demands for more money.

And with the ever-more militant approach from the unions, many wonder if there isn’t an alternative. And yes there is – but not for the next 7 years.

Late last year TfL released plans for its next generation of trains late.

Wider doors, walk-through carriages and, crucially for those summer commutes, air-conditioning are all intended to make travelling on the London Underground a more pleasant experience.

But the biggest difference is that the new generation of trains will be driverless - and their future importance to commuters became apparent during the last strikes, when the term ‘driverless Tube’ became one of Google’s mist searched-for terms .

However, the move to the fully automated trains – which will not come in to service until 2022 – has angered unions who fear job losses.

The Aslef drivers’ union threatened ‘all-out war’ should the move to fully automated trains come in.

But London Mayor Boris Johnson has insisted no jobs would be lost, as each train will be manned by a 'captain’.

TfL also announced that they would initially have drivers, in the same way as the DLR, when they come into service.

Only when all current trains have replaced by the newer models in the mid-2020s will the service run without drivers. Each will still have a member of staff on board.

The Piccadilly Line will be the first to host the new trains, which have been designed by London firm Priestman Goode, followed by the Central, Waterloo & City and Bakerloo lines.

They will increase capacity on the Central Line by 25 per cent, the Bakerloo Line by 25 per cent, the Waterloo and City line by 50 per cent and the Piccadilly Line by 60 per cent.

The contract to provide the trains will be awarded next year.

In the face of union opposition Mr Johnson insisted drivers would not lose their jobs because 'train captains’ will be required.

'In the end these will be driverless trains but that will not mean that they will be staffless trains or trains,’ he said.

After the summer of misery brought about the summer of strikes over the night-time Tube services, commuters can only hope that the driverless trains do truly revolutionise the Underground.