The train management system in San Francisco is still using floppy disks, a technology that has been in place since 1998. However, the Municipal Transportation Agency is planning to update the system to a more modern format in order to prevent any potential failures in transportation management. The current system controls suburban trains automatically using floppy disks, but it is outdated and poses risks.
Jeffrey Tumlin, the director of SFMTA, stated that the agency’s goal is to have a single train control system for the entire rail system. While floppy disks have long been replaced by more modern data storage formats, they are still used in certain administrations and industries. For example, the United States nuclear missile system stopped using 8-inch floppy disks in 2018 and moved to solid-state digital storage drives. In the medical field, Norway’s National Health System still uses diskettes to update patient data while also offering access to an online database.
The update of the train control system in San Francisco is a multi-phase project that will take place over a decade. It involves replacing the current floppy disk system with a more modern one. The agency recognizes that this transition will take time but it is necessary to prevent data degradation and potential failures in transportation management. Once completed, the ultimate goal is to have a more reliable and efficient train control system for the entire rail system.
