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

The trains will have emergency driving stands at each end, which will also be used to reach the depot at the southern end of Line U1. Each married pair will have a wide inter-car gangway. There will be 82 seats in each two-car set with room for 424 passengers standing at 6 passengers/[m.sub.2]. The trains will have welded lightweight aluminium body shells. There will be eight three-phase 140kW asynchronous traction motors per two-car set.

It is planned to extend both branches of Line U3 by 2012 or 2015, so that the northern branch will eventually be 3.3km long with five stations, and the southern branch 4.5km long also with five stations.