(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on May 18, 2011.)
Later this month, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will begin a series of public meetings to discuss the expansion of single-person train operation (SPTO) to the Red Line.
The SPTO mode, now used on the Blue and Orange lines, enables one person to perform functions once shared by several train attendants, including door operation and train announcements.
Transit systems in San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta employ the SPTO system.
Full story: Progressive Railroading