First metro to convert to full automation: Nuremberg Transport is on course to become the first metro in the world to convert an existing manually-operated line to full automation. Automatic operation will start in spring 2006

International Railway Journal, Sept, 2004 by David Briginshaw

An optical sensitive door edge will be provided to prevent passengers or objects from becoming trapped in doors. "The principle used is standard in industry, but has been adapted for rail," Dipl-Ing Helmut Beismann, overall project manager for Rubin with Siemens, explained. "A conventional train has been equipped with the system and our experience with the tests so far has been very good." For the benefit of deaf and blind passengers, visual and audio warnings will announce that the doors are closing.

SF 1000 bogies are being fitted to the trains. They have a derailment detector on each axle, and an obstacle detector. They are also fitted with two ATC antennae, one to transmit, the other to receive.

VAG rejected the installation of platform screen doors because some of the station platforms are curved which would have necessitated an additional system to monitor the gap of up to 22cm between the train and the platform edge. "There would also have been a problem in trying to stop the manually-driven Line U2 trains accurately during the period of mixed operation," Schmidt told IRJ.

Instead, Honeywell Regelsysteme, Germany, has developed a platform track intrusion detection system to detect if objects larger than 30cm in diameter enter the track area in stations. The minimum size was determined to avoid detecting rubbish. The radar-based system will be unaffected by fog, rain, or snow. Transmitters are fitted in the refuge under the platform and receivers on the other side of the track. The transmitters and receivers are synchronised. Cameras are installed to view the track area so that the controller can see what is on the track if the system is activated. "The system is connected to the ATC so that trains in the area will stop automatically if an object is detected. The system has been installed at one station since August 2003, and three more stations have since been equipped.

The train control system will operate in a similar way to moving block, although it is a fixed block system. Inductive transmission loops to detect trains are installed in the track, but they are very short and there are a lot of them. This will allow trains to run at 100-second headways in full automatic mode, compared with 200-second headways with the existing conventional lineside signalling.

Under Rubin, the automatic train operation system will regulate train speed precisely, control acceleration and braking, manage train despatch, activate on-board passenger announcements, and operate the trains so that energy is saved. "We want to design the timetable so that accelerating trains are synchronised with decelerating trains," Schmidt explained. "We will use a Siemens tool called Faro that will plan and optimise train operation. Falko knows the performance of the trains and topography of the line. If necessary, trains can be decelerated or delayed for a few seconds to optimise energy consumption."

The automatic train protection will control train speed, control and command safety braking, unlock the doors at stations, communicate data continuously in both directions, and measure the position of trains at the crossover points of the inductive loops.