From: wb8foz@panix.com   
      
   "Peter T. Daniels"  writes:   
      
      
   >Wasn't the DC Metra also designed for automatic operation -- for   
   >which Danny is always posting horror stories?   
      
   Danny's just trying to divert attention from his ex-residence's   
   system.   
      
   WMATA has been running manually since 2009. In my opinion, the   
   reasons for this are 85% political/15% technical.   
      
   The    
   was caused by the Alstom block signaling system failing.   
      
   As part of the knee-jerk reaction, WMATA started requiring   
   manual control, even though it wasn't that system that had   
   failed. Operators manually ran the trains, initially causing   
   platform overrun issues. They also manually opened the doors.   
   (They had always manually closed them.)   
      
   To be fair, the automagic system has had issues; especially with   
   stopping the trains at the exact correct location so that all   
   doors are within the platform's length.   
      
   In theory, we should be getting automatic operation back soon,   
   but the system has been fighting bigger battles trying to keep   
   the 8000 series's wheels on the axles.   
      
   --   
   A host is a host from coast to coast...............wb8foz@panix.com   
   & no one will talk to a host that's close..........................   
   Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433   
   is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)