Driverless trains have been in operation since the 1960s when the Victoria Line on London’s underground opened. However, it would be 20 years before the opening of the world’s first fully automated mass transit systems in Lille, France, and Kobe, Japan. Today, automated metro, airport and freight rail systems are widely used, with more cities set to introduce driverless trains in 2026, including Glasgow, Scotland, and the world’s largest project to date in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Beyond urban transit, driverless trains are expected to expand into long-distance passenger routes, such as in Germany, within the next five years. This shift will be supported by the European Train Control System (ETCS), which will digitize signalling and enable more trains to operate safely in closer proximity to one another on the track.
However, increased capacity also raises the risk of service disruption, particularly at high-risk locations such as level crossings, bridges and tunnels — areas prone to trespass by people, animals or vehicles. One of the most critical risk areas remains the station platform.
Mind the Gap
Station platforms present a range of hazards, including passenger falls during boarding and disembarking, antisocial behaviour, overcrowding during peak times, and items becoming caught in train doors. While safety measures such as CCTV, help points, public address systems and staff presence are widely used, the platform-train interface (PTI) — the boundary between the platform edge and the track — remains the greatest risk.
In the UK, the Rail Safety and Standard Board reported that ‘Over 50% of passenger fatality risk happens at the PTI, making this a key improvement area to enhance passenger safety.’
Platform screen doors (PSDs) can significantly reduce PTI incidents, but they are costly to install and maintain and are often impractical for older or rural stations. Similarly, while live CCTV monitoring and video analytics are common, maintaining full situational awareness across multiple platforms can be challenging for control room operators — especially in busy stations with frequent train movements.
Protecting the platform perimeter
In response, 3D LiDAR-based detection systems are emerging as a highly effective solution for PTI safety, offering greater precision and fewer false alerts than traditional video analytics.
These systems create a virtual perimeter capable of detecting even minor intrusions along the platform edge or track access points. When triggered, they can automatically initiate a range of actions, such as displaying relevant CCTV footage in the control room, alerting platform staff via mobile devices, activating public address announcements or initiating emergency protocols for trains in or approaching the station. Automated rules can also be set to only allow trains to arrive and depart the station if the LiDAR system has not been triggered.
A key advantage of LiDAR is its flexibility. Detection zones can be easily adjusted or temporarily disabled to accommodate maintenance or engineering work. Because the system can be centrally managed, it is suitable for stations of all sizes and can also enhance safety at other critical locations, such as level crossings and tunnels.
Despite its name, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) performs equally well in daylight and complete darkness, making it a reliable, around-the-clock safety solution.
Driverless trains are not a new concept, but adoption is accelerating. Advances in automation technology are now catching up with long-held ambitions, aligning with broader government goals such as urban regeneration, infrastructure renewal, improved connectivity and the need for reliable, affordable and sustainable transportation for growing populations.
Author: Andreas Beerbaum, vice president, global physical security sales and service, for Octave
Share on:
