Driverless tube trains are unlikely to be a feature of London Transport until 2030, if at all.

The system is currently operated on London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and on the Paris Metro and is enthusiastically supported by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who would like to see it in use over the whole Tube network by 2020.

However the concept is just as enthusiastically opposed by train drivers unions Aslef and RMT, which are both planning to prevent it happening.

Best news for passengers is that, driverless or not, the new train carriages on the way will have air-conditioning to prevent journeys in the summer heat being a deeply unpleasant experience, as is currently the case.