The future of travel is coming to Scotland’s second city from next year when autonomous trains will begin trundling underground.
Major changes are on the way for the Glasgow Subway, which carries around 13 million people every year.
The world’s third-oldest subway system welcomed a fleet of new trains last year as part of the revamp targeting every corner of the underground system, including a full facelift of 15 stations and a new signalling and control system.
But the most awaited upgrade will be the rollout of the driverless trains – one of the first such systems in the UK.
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The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), the company responsible for running the subway, said: ‘All the new trains are custom made due to the unique size of Glasgow Subway. The new trains are the same length and size as the existing ones but are now a four-car set, as opposed to the current three-car set, with open gangways to maximise the space available.’
While the trains will be equipped to be completely driverless, some staff may be required to be in the cabs, Metro understands.
Engineers are doing final touches in the subway for the so-called driverless trains, or Unattended Train Operation (UTO) system, to launch, including testing.
Passengers on the Glasgow Subway will have seen new half-height platform safety screens installed at stations, which have been designed to give a sense of space while keeping everyone safe.
When will driverless trains start operating in Glasgow?
The exact date for the launch is still under wraps, but it will reportedly be in the second half of 2026.
SPT’s director of transport operations, Richard Robinson, confirmed that the subway modernisation project is now in its final stages, subject to everything being brought together.
He said: ‘Whilst our new system will be capable of Unattended Train Operation, there may be a requirement for some staff presence within the system beyond this point. This is being actively considered as part of our Target Operating Model planning.
‘The Subway modernisation programme is the most significant investment and improvement programme to be undertaken in the Subway within the last 45 years.
‘The programme is now in its final stages, which will see the entire integrated system being brought together. This stage was always expected to be the most complex phase of delivery before we were able to transition towards operating the new system.
What safety measures does the new subway have?
A spokesperson for the Glasgow Subway told Metro: ‘There is CCTV coverage throughout Glasgow Subway. As we move through the next stages of the modernisation programme and switch over to our new signalling and communications system, operating from a new modern control centre, this will further enhance CCTV coverage throughout our stations and on trains.
‘This new system will work in combination with the new Platform Screen Doors [PSD] already being installed in stations. The introduction of PSDs will limit access to tunnels from platforms.’
Does London have driverless trains?
A section of the London transport network has been fully driverless since the late 1980s – the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
If you have taken the DLR in east and southeast London, you might have noticed that the trains don’t have a driver’s cab.
Instead, the front and back of the train are identical, with just a large panorama window allowing passengers to take in the views – or pretending to be the driver.
TfL has previously trialled AI-powered CCTV on the DLR to spot people on tracks, and the tests are now being rolled out on the Tube network.
Robot trains are not coming on the Tube any time soon after the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, confirmed last year that any work on driverless trains on the Underground ‘shouldn’t be progressed any further.’
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