San Francisco transportation board finally says bye to floppy disks
What's the story
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has approved a budget of $212 million to modernize its Muni Metro light rail system.
The current Automatic Train Control System (ATCS) of the Muni Metro, which was installed in 1998, still uses 5 1/4-inch floppy disks.
These disks are used to load DOS software that runs the system's central servers.
System operation
Outdated rail system and its operation
The ATCS employs three floppy disks to load the DOS software controlling the central servers.
When a train enters the subway, its onboard computer connects to this system, allowing automatic mode where trains self-navigate and operators supervise.
Upon exiting the subway, they disconnect from ATCS and revert to manual operation on the streets.
This was confirmed by Michael Roccaforte, an SFMTA spokesperson, giving further details on how the light rail operates to Ars Technica.
Modernization plan
Partnership with Hitachi Rail for system upgrade
The SFMTA had originally planned to switch to a floppy-disk-free train control system by 2028 in 2018.
However, with COVID-19 disruptions delaying work for 18 months, the estimated completion timeframe was pushed back.
On October 15, the agency approved a contract with Hitachi Rail to implement a new train control system that doesn't rely on floppy disks.
The $212 million contract includes support services from Hitachi for "20 to 25 years."
Upgrade
New control system to be 5 generations ahead
The new control system is said to be five generations ahead of the current one, Muni director Julie Kirschbaum told The Chronicle.
The current ATCS was designed for a lifespan of 20-25 years, with its expiration date being 2023.
Although it still works fine, concerns over floppy disk data degradation and keeping expertise in 1990s programming languages have led SFMTA to look for upgrades.
Additional improvements
SFMTA plans further upgrades for Muni Metro
Beyond the floppy disks, the Muni Metro needs other upgrades.
The SFMTA plans to spend $700 million (including the $212 million Hitachi contract) to overhaul the light rail's control system.
This includes replacing the loop cable system used to transmit data between servers and trains, which Roccaforte described as having "less bandwidth than an old AOL dial-up modem."