Elevators & APMs: Are the Twain Finally Meeting over Safety Issues?

摘要

Driverless metros have become routine in Europe, and they draw generous volumes of passengers to their frequent, reliable and safe services. They are large-scale cousins of the automated people mover (APM) shuttles commonly found at large airports around the world. In the oil-addicted U.S., urban metro lines - typically labeled "heavy rail" or "rail rapid transit" - still run with conductors and other kinds of attendants. Yes, they sometimes have fully automated elevators and escalators at major stations, but the trains have drivers, just as elevators did before the 1950s.