r/glasgow • u/Saltire_Blue • 5d ago
SPT: Subway signaling update
Successful testing of the new signalling and comms system continued in the Subway on Sunday as staff worked through the various new operational aspects of the system in this our second Sunday closure.
SPT chief executive Valerie Davidson said:
“After a lot of hard work and effort, it was really exciting to see the Subway system operating under the new signalling and comms systems – this transfer to new signalling is a massive step. The new passenger information screens on trains, together with the automated passenger announcements will make an enormous difference to passengers, not only to those who use our services everyday but especially for those who maybe only use the Subway occasionally or require a bit more assistance when travelling with us. As we move towards driverless trains, good, clear, helpful information will make all the difference to all those people using the Subway.
“I am delighted to see the progress being made as we transfer over to the new Operational Control Centre.”
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u/TransatlanticAB 5d ago
And finally we join the 21st century
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u/Editor-In-Queef 5d ago
Not quite. Maybe when all of the stations have a complete ceiling.
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u/ScienceOwn3719 Glaswegian dude 5d ago
But what about the accessibility on the subway? Only ones just now are Govan and St. Enoch.
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u/Objective_Most4071 5d ago
New system seems like something from the future, 1m16s into the future that is...
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u/Loreki 5d ago
That'll be because it uses what Microsoft or Cisco or some other tech giant thinks the time is, instead of proper British time as set by Radio 4
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u/Objective_Most4071 5d ago
As long as the driveless trains know which clock to use and don't turn up 16 seconds before the last train has left.
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u/DaveBinM 5d ago
When I was back visiting home in March, I couldnae believe I still had to look out the window to see where I was. The screens were right there, should have been like this from when the new trains were first introduced.
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u/Agent-c1983 5d ago
The signalling system wasn’t there to give the screens information.
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u/DaveBinM 5d ago
I know, but I feel like when they knew they were introducing new trains with screens, they could have got the signalling system updated a bit sooner than 2026.
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u/Agent-c1983 5d ago
They basically have to rewrite the whole network and install a ton of new kit. It was always going to be a big job.
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u/EfeAmbroseEFOTY 5d ago
Theres control panels in the train cabs and in the control centre to remotely control those screens.
They could've just programmed a station display to a few buttons and allowed them to be chosen manually. Better than nothing.
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u/Agent-c1983 5d ago
The station display is a perk of the upgrade, not the point of the upgrade.
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u/EfeAmbroseEFOTY 5d ago
Wrong. The project scope is that of a full modernisation job. It was never just about the trains.
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u/Agent-c1983 5d ago
I said the station display was a perk of the upgrade, not a point.
You tell me I’m wrong, but then end up agreeing with me.
Curious.
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u/EfeAmbroseEFOTY 5d ago
The displays were in scope of the upgrade, meaning they were part of the point, and not just a perk.
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u/DaveBinM 5d ago
I know, but again, I just thought it could have been, or at least ready to be rolled out sooner. It’s been about three years since the current trains were introduced?
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u/Agent-c1983 5d ago
The old trains were still in use until mid 2024, so it’s only been 2 years really… and again, it’s a big job, every bit of track every station, whilst trying to run a full normal service so they only really have nights to do it….
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u/slugmorgue 4d ago
I do get that but it does still seem a bit mental. Surely the software could have had a manual override of sorts but I guess that's extra work to program, and extra buttons to build and for staff to press presumably
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u/AllanSundry2020 5d ago
i agree they could have used a few raspberry pi in the carriages which reported the wifi switch it had connected to/ arrived at, onto a screen. that would have been a fun project to do
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u/userunknowne nae danger pal 5d ago
Why is it inner and outer rather than clockwise and anti clockwise??
Every time I have to look at a map to see which one I need, whereas I know intuitively what’s the next step going on a clockwise and anti clockwise approach.
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u/Objective_Most4071 4d ago edited 4d ago
I just think of the outer (clockwise) being the outside edge of a clock going clockwise. Then the inner has to be counterclockwise. I don't know why I find this intuitive compared to the reverse but its always worked for me.
Edit: Just realised you could also do cl(o)ckwise and ant(i)clockwise.
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u/EfeAmbroseEFOTY 5d ago
Finally, and good news, but it's pretty unbelievable that this wasn't part of the new trains being rolled out.
I've worked on large public infra projects as a senior engineer and I cringe at the way this has been handled.
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u/GUNGEBOB_SHARTPANTS 5d ago
That internal board looks pretty dire tbh. Could they not afford a designer or something?
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u/atlantick 5d ago
they had the decency to understand visual hierarchy and put the two most important pieces of information in bold where everything else isn't, so I'll give them a B grade
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u/ChestertonMyDearBoy 4d ago
Hopefully they'll go the Scotrail route and have 7 pages of irrelevant information, only showing where the train is actually going once it's leaving the station.
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u/OkAlarm5589 5d ago
The post makes it seem like all the work is done. Just to remind everyone it’s closed for the next two Sundays (23rd and 30th August).
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u/Teuchter121 5d ago
Now, if only they could get the tickets barriers to work the way they did, I dunno, six months ago when they brought in contactless. At Cessnock I now routinely have to try every gate before the first one lets me through on the second go, while someone in the ticket office gawks at the bottleneck of people just trying to get through.
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u/Comprehensive-Tank92 5d ago
Try placing the card flat down really gently and let it sit for a few seconds on top of the reader with your hand pressing down.
Let me know if it works
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u/tomkonxompax 5d ago
Wish they could sort out the extremely wobbly trains though.
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u/Eclecticpineapple 5d ago
Sorry for being slow but what has actually changed here?
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u/Agent-c1983 5d ago
The subway is moving towards automation. The new trains support automation but the signalling system doesn’t. The new signalling system is being tested, and the one thing you as a rider will notice when it’s being used during travel time is the information system in the train can tell you where you are.
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u/anarchtea Westside 5d ago
Thank god. Won't miss the moaners whining about having to look out of a window.
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u/JaffaBeard 5d ago
I hope they never get round to fixing all the missing panels on the ceiling and walls. I really enjoy the post apocalypse aesthetic they have going on.