While threat of further strikes involving staff on the London Underground has been called off for now a leading engineering group has suggested that totally driverless trains could soon be introduced on the Tube.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) points out that several Underground lines such as the Victoria, Central and Jubilee already use automated systems and that drivers are only there to provide operational support and to reassure passengers.

“In the next decade we will see automatic train operation being introduced on other London Underground lines such as the Northern, Piccadilly and sub surface lines,” says the IET's head of transport Paula-Marie Brown.

“Technology exists to have totally driverless trains," she added. "But the significant question is what is required to convince the travelling public that they are acceptably safe?”

Strikes organised by the RMT and TSSA unions caused significant disruption on the London Underground for 48 hours last Wednesday and Thursday. A further strike was scheduled to begin last night but it was suspended following talks.

Transport for London plans to cut 950 jobs and close ticket offices on the Underground to modernise its systems and save £50M a year.

However London Underground Managing Director Mike Brown said: “In future, there will be more staff in ticket halls and on platforms to help customers buy the right ticket, plan their journeys and to keep them safe and secure.”

Last Wednesday TfL claimed to be running over a third of normal services, serving around 70% of stations on eight out of 11 lines.

(Photo: Mark Hillary)

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