Why aren't trains autonomous?

We have all the tech needed to make autonomous trains. The problem isn't technology. It's line of sight, and the massive distances trains need to identify and react to obstacles and bring a few hundred tons of steel and cargo to a stop safely. read more

It turns out we have all the tech needed to make autonomous trains, and we've seen robotrains running in limited capacity since the late 1960s. The problem isn't technology. It's line of sight, and the massive distances trains need to identify and react to obstacles and bring a few hundred tons of steel and cargo to a stop safely. read more

CES 2015 was all about the driverless car, but autonomous rail makes more sense. read more

"Labor agreements are not encouraging for automating the train," is how Clarke puts it. And then there's the matter of public perception of driverless trains, which Clarke notes is not often favorable. Sadly, it seems that completely automated open rail systems—ones without any human crew aboard—aren't likely for the foreseeable future. read more