Some US transit systems weigh whether to run trains without a human at the controls

While automated vehicles like robotaxis have become increasingly prevalent across the United States, almost every mass transit system currently continues to require a human driver or operator on board. However, this standard practice may soon change as transit systems in the United States weigh the possibility of running trains without human operators at the controls.

Two major cities are actively seeking to implement this shift. Specifically, officials in Washington, D.C., have recently advanced a plan that could allow computer systems to operate their transit trains, marking a notable step toward full automation in American mass transit.