• bluGill@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Automated signaling exists and can manage all sections at the maximum safe speed. Trains shouldn’t even have anyone inside to drive normally. The job is obsolete today. (drivers might be useful in yards, or little used branches, but not the main line - in both cases the driver should live near their section and work when there is a train then go home)

    Of course automatic signaling is programmed to be safe. Thus if that section cannot be driven faster than 10mph (or whatever speed) there is no override to go faster anyway.

    • SheeEttin@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Exists, yes, but is not installed throughout the US rail systems.

      But there should still be a human on the trains. Automatic signaling won’t stop a train when there’s a stalled car on a crossing, or someone walking on the tracks.

      • bluGill@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        A human on board won’t stop a train either. They will hit the brakes, but trains don’t stop fast enough to make a difference in those situations.

    • conditional_soup@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I’m not 100% sure about that. Can you give me a little context as to where your knowledge comes from? Railroaders I’ve seen discussing fully automated trains seemed to have some doubts about the viability of the technology.

      • bluGill@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Many passenger trains around the world run fully automated.

        the big issue is without someone on board there is nobody to see someone on the tracks and hit the emergency brake. My counter to that is it doesn’t matter as the train won’t stop until long after whoever was on the track is hit and dead.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Passenger trains generally don’t go that fast in areas where they’re likely to hit something or derail. Which is not what rail executives want.

          • bluGill@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            Passenger trains have better maintained tracks and so are not likely to derail. They are also less likely to hit things because they are grade separated - fenced, elevated tracks, in tunnels. These are more cost, but they are things society wants (not the same as rail executives) Trams which run on the street are much slower and do have drivers.