A SNAP of Glasgow Subway’s driverless trains has been revealed ahead of their rollout in 2020.
Swiss company Stadler won the tender for the delivery of 17 underground trains for SPT in March 2016.
A picture posted on Twitter has shown the swanky new carriages - which can reach a maximum speed of just over 36mph - under construction in Berlin last week.
#StadlerRail #AnsaldoSTS #Metro #Glasgow https://t.co/aJC8DrOInR pic.twitter.com/xoXGodU6WM
— InnoTrans (@InnoTrans) September 14, 2018
As previously reported by the Evening Times, the new trains will be the first in the UK to run with no staff on board.
The initiative is part of a £288 million overhaul of the Subway system.
Test tracks near Ibrox Stadium will be the first to witness the trials of the new trains by the end of 2018 before entering service at the end of 2020.
WATCH: Walk through £120m Glasgow Queen Street - two years before it is unveiled
They will initially operate with drivers on board, with full automation expected to follow in 2021 - the system’s 125th anniversary.
Stadler called the contract “a milestone,” adding: “It marks the first time that the company’s rolling stock will be used in a driverless underground system.”
Glasgow Subway is the third oldest subway system in the world.
It consists of a running circle measuring 10.5 km in length with 15 stations.
READ MORE: New Glasgow subway trains first in UK to run WITHOUT drivers
The Glasgow Subway system, which dates back to Victorian times, also has the world’s smallest underground network.
The new trains will be the same length as the existing rolling stock they are to replace,, 39 metres, but they will be made up of four-car sets, as opposed to the current three-car sets.
They will also feature an open design with a large proportion of standing room to maximise the space available and improve accessibility for people with limited mobility.
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