Salah REGAN
How Automation Is Reshaping Light Rail
Automation is advancing across public transport, and light rail is part of that evolution. But automating a system is not quite the same as automating a metro or mainline train.
Light rail brings together two very different operating environments. Parts of a network may run on dedicated track, separated from road traffic, while elsewhere it interacts directly with vehicles, pedestrians, and the wider urban environment. This means the route towards greater automation comes with a particular set of challenges and is likely to happen step by step.
Cover photo © Banco de Imagens do VLT Carioca
Automation meets the complexity of the street
Fully automated driving in light rail has to account for operating conditions normally associated with both rail and road.
Creating a completely customised automation solution for every individual network would be slow and expensive. Instead, a more harmonised and standardised approach, based around different situations and modular functions, offers another way forward.
One starting point is to focus automation on sections that are separated from road traffic, where operating conditions are more predictable. Repetitive tasks could be automated first, helping operators use time and resources more efficiently while building experience with the technology.
From supporting the driver to fully autonomous driving
A fully autonomous vehicle does not necessarily mean removing the driver from the beginning of implementation.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are used to support drivers and, when several are implemented, can grow to form part of a system leading to autonomous driving.
For UITP’s Light Rail Committee, this operational perspective is an important part of the discussion. Its work on automation focuses particularly on safety and on how technology can support drivers and operations in the shorter term. This can include technologies such as overspeed protection and obstacle detection systems, reducing elements of the driver’s workload while supporting safe and efficient operations.
Technology changes jobs too
The transition is not only about what the technology can do. It is also about preparing the people who will work alongside it.
This connection was explored during a joint meeting of the FP2-R2DATO and Reskilling projects in Oslo in June. Organised with the involvement of the UITP Light Rail Committee and hosted by Sporveien AS, the meeting included a demonstration of autonomous tram operations at the Holtet depot.
The meeting also featured ‘The Digital Tram Control Room’, one of seven reskilling case studies being developed by project partners to help future-proof the transport workforce. It underlined an important part of the transition: deploying new technology is only part of the story. Transport workers also need to be prepared to use it.
Moving the light rail conversation forward
With real-world applications getting closer, the question for light rail is not simply how far automation can ultimately go. It is also what can be implemented safely and effectively today, what should come next, and how operators and their workforces prepare for that evolution.
These questions will remain firmly on the agenda for UITP’s Light Rail community this September.
The Light Rail Division Meeting on 20–21 September 2026 in Poznań will bring stakeholders together to exchange knowledge, share best practices and address common challenges, with a session looking specifically at the future of light rail, including automation.
Get Involved
UITP members working in light rail who are interested in joining the UITP Light Rail Division Meeting can contact Salah Regan.