“It’s really about safety. It’s a safety overlay system. When you’re on automatic train operation it makes it pretty much impossible to run a red signal. For us, a red signal violation is one of the biggest things we want to avoid in a railroad scenari

Metro plans to return to automatic train operation (ATO) for the first time in 15 years by the end of the year, which the transit agency says will offer a smoother, quicker ride. No Metro customer has ridden a train in ATO since 2009,

But then ATO was halted after the deadliest crash in Metro history happened on the very same line it wants to bring automation back

Citing improved safety and a better passenger experience, Metro officials are hoping to have Red Line trains operate in automatic mode starting later this month.

Major changes are coming to Metro for the first time in 15 years and some trains will be automated. Metro stopped using the automated system after a deadly crash in 2009. Since then, investigators found the system was not the cause of the crash.

After a 15-year hiatus, Metro is poised to resume Automated Train Operation (ATO), beginning on the tracks along the Red Line.