Are driverless subways reliable?

I read in the news that the first batch of fully automatic driverless trains in mainland China will be put into use on the Yanfang Line in Beijing. What is a driverless train? It seems that subways in Beijing and other places did not require drivers before. Is this considered a driverless subway? Will there be safety risks if there is no driver at all?

How can trains be driverless?

As the name suggests, a "driverless train" is a train that can automatically drive without the need for a driver or crew member to operate it.

Unmanned trains are monitored by onboard computers and vehicle control centers, which respond to immediate situations while the vehicle is in operation.

Such trains can automatically wake up, perform self-inspection, automatically depart from the station, travel uphill and downhill, stop accurately at the station, automatically open and close doors, and automatically sleep after completing operations.

It is understood that most subway lines in Beijing have now adopted "driverless" trains, and the vehicles can basically be driven by drivers.

Although there are drivers on Beijing subway trains, their job is not to drive. Their main job is to provide everyone with a sense of security and handle emergencies.

For example, when there is a large passenger flow during peak hours in the subway, the driver can manually close the door according to the conditions outside the car. In addition, if an emergency occurs in a tunnel or on the line, such as someone jumping off the track or heavy rain, the driver can handle some emergency situations.

The first batch of driverless trains in mainland China?

So why are the first batch of driverless trains put into use on the Yanfang Line this time? Some netizens reported that Guangzhou already has the APM line (Guangzhou Zhujiang New Town Automatic Passenger Transportation System), which is also driverless and automatic, and was officially opened for trial operation on November 8, 2010.

However, Tencent Technology learned that the Guangzhou APM line is imported from the United States and has no cab. Although it has reached the level of fully automatic unmanned driving, it uses American technology.

The trains for the Yanfang Line are provided by China CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. Since they are made in China, the media call them "the first batch of unmanned subway trains in mainland China."

Currently, the "driverless" trains used in mainland subways generally have drivers, and some of the performance of the trains is still far from international standards. The Yanfang Line will be the first fully automatic driverless line in mainland China, meeting the highest automation level of IEC62267 standard GOA4. This batch of driverless subway trains are the subway trains with the highest level of automation.

In addition, fully automatic unmanned driving requires the operating line to be completely closed. The Yanfang Line is an elevated line and a fully closed route. Compared with previous subway lines, it has the advantage of fully automatic driving.

How can a “driverless” subway ensure safe operation?

According to the person in charge of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd., the supplier of the Yanfang Line trains, the subway using unmanned driving technology has the function of self-detection and self-diagnosis before departure, and has added key systems such as obstacle detection and derailment detection systems, braking, signal systems and train control circuits.

The train is also equipped with road condition cameras to facilitate the vehicle control center to timely monitor the track conditions. In an emergency, the vehicle control center can use the emergency alarm device to communicate directly with passengers. The train also has an automatic recovery function in the event of a fault, which can ensure the safe operation of the vehicle to the greatest extent.

Fully automated operations also avoid operational failures caused by human errors, and will not affect train operations due to driver fatigue, sudden illness or other situations.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.