Driverless mass-transit train in Nuremberg in service

Germany's first driverless mass-transit train line has officially begun service in the city of Nuremberg in June 2008. The so called RUBIN project ("Realisierung einer automatisierten U-Bahn in Nürnberg") is the first in the world for the migration of a conventional metro system to a driverless system. The system is unique because it mixes human-driven and computer-controlled trains on the same track. This had previously been seen as too risky, although it is the best way forward for smaller cities like Nuremberg which can only afford gradual improvements to their existing train services. The new system is able to transport up to 29.500 passengers per hour and to substantially shorten the intervals between trains.