Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which cities globally have an automated underground or metro transport system; and what research they have conducted on the effectiveness of those systems.

The Government has not undertaken any research on the effectiveness of global automatic underground and metro transport systems.

London Underground is a founder member of CoMET, an international benchmarking group for the world’s largest metro systems, and a member of the International Association of Public Transport, and as a result has engaged extensively with many of the world’s most advanced automated systems. This has included: Paris Metro, to learn from the successful conversion of an existing line to full automation. Lille Metro, to learn from their programme to retrofit pre-assembled Platform Edge Door (PEDs) units, minimising closures and maximising value for money. Seoul Metro, to learn from their integrated use of gap fillers, PEDs and obstacle detection solutions at the Platform Train Interface. And Barcelona Metro, to learn from their staffing model for automation that has led to increased staff satisfaction and lower absenteeism.