Tube Lines, were they telling porkies about TBTC?

Apparently there are two types of ATO which are very different. One requires a driver in the cab. The other does not - think DLR. it is this version that I believe could more easily be made to automatically open and close the doors

Generally, modern ATC control software has the ability to open and close doors automatically. You just have to ask for it to be available or not.

I believe auto open is easy to switch on for the Jub & Northern versions of TBTC, as both the system and the trains can do it, its just it was not enabled from the outset. It may still come into play. I don't think auto closing doors is an option though without some significant work on the trains. I am sure the rest of the TBTC systems would require only software changes though, so even that could be made to happen if someone wanted it. DLR still doesn't have auto closing doors with TBTC - the trains are still wired up to have the on-board member of staff to close the doors via the door panel or emergency driving position. The S stock doors individually self-close though don't they for the air-con I believe?

Even the original ATO on the 1967 stock on the Victoria Line could have been easily modified to open and close the doors at station stops. After all, all the driver is doing is closing or opening switches on a relay manually. The safety aspect however is quite a different thing. I don't think I would be too keen on travelling on a deep level, un-staffed, tube train

JLESCS - the Alcatel signals control system for the JLE - that was replaced by TBTC - also had a door open/close feature, also disabled, along with a lot of other disabled features.

These JLESCS disabled features were sometimes still there but greyed out so could not mouse click them, or not displayed at all but present in disabled code. One of the greyed out features was DC traction switching from the signallers workstations.

That Alcatel control system would have been implemented line wide had the 1990s Westinghouse ATO been made to work; in the ATC hierarchy it would have been Westinghouse ATP and ATO but Alcatel ATS, unlike the Central where Westinghouse supplied all ATO ATP and ATS.

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Nick

I know the 1995 stock when first on the Northern Line doors were opened by pax but this was withdrawn as being driver operated was seen to be more efficient.
And they are not ALL the same. Deep level tube trains and SSL trains are as different as chalk and cheese, one being large and the other being smaller. SSL do not go down deep level tubes.

I saw that there are electric pods twixt car parks and the terminal so I suppose it could be this you mean. :-)

Could you describe this T5 Transit as I don't see it anywhere apart from those pods which Google throws up. It would be very interesting as I was the Lead Instructor when T5 opened and apart from Heathrow Express and the underground (and those damn pods, lol) I'm puzzled.