1001 Smart Cities
🇧🇷 São Paulo

São Paulo Metro: the lines built to run with nobody aboard

🤖 AI-generated summary · ◆ 18 sourced claims · 🔎 Last verified

This overview was generated with AI from the public sources listed below and checked against them before publication. It has not had a complete human fact-check — treat it as a starting point and follow the sources.

18 sourced claims on this page, none individually verified yet — turn on “Sources in the text” to see each one.

How this atlas is made · What “last verified” means · What “source-checked” means · The full record behind this page

Line 4 was designed to run with nobody aboard and still carried an agent on its trains. Line 15 opened in 2014 with an operator on every train and needed ten years and a labour-court dispute to run without one.

Outcome🔄 Ongoing
Evidence🏛️ Officialgrades the sourcing — this entry states no impact figure
what does this mean?The strongest source is the operator's or the city's own reporting — an official report, dataset or press release. It grades who did the looking — not how well the project went. All four grades →
Run byCompanhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo (Metro, state-owned) for Line 15; Motiva Linha 4 (former ViaQuatro) for Line 4 under a state PPP concession
Scale🏙️ City-wide
FundingState of Sao Paulo: Line 4 publicly built and operated under a 30-year PPP concession, Line 15 publicly built and operated by the state Metro company

Part of 1001 Smart Cities — 1,247 documented projects · 🏙️ 10 more in São Paulo · 🚌 Public transport guide · 🚲 Mobility projects

Line 4 (Yellow) has run without a driver since 2010 and was designed for unattended (UTO) operation, but a 2021 peer-reviewed ethnography found the concessionaire keeping an assistance agent aboard its trains, trained to take manual control. Nor is it the city's line: a concessionaire, today Motiva Linha 4, operates it under a 30-year state PPP signed in 2006. The state-owned Metro's Line 15 monorail opened in 2014 with an operator on every train, began automatic GoA4 running in August 2024 with the operators still aboard, and started running with no operator aboard in March 2025, at weekends first — a labour judge ordered the operators back in August 2025, the labour court suspended that order on the Metro's appeal on 2 September 2025. Line 5 is automatic but staffed, the six Line 6 stations opened in July 2026 make no driverless claim, and the Line 17 monorail, opened in March 2026 for unattended running, carried staff on its trips during its transitional phase — so 'driverless São Paulo' is a short list, not the network. Line 4 also drew a rare Brazilian ruling on biometric consent: platform-door cameras read passengers' reactions to adverts in 2018, and in May 2023 an appeal court raised ViaQuatro's collective damages from R$100,000 to R$500,000.

Live 📅 since 2010

🎓 Lesson

A GoA4 rating is a licence, not a practice. Line 4 was designed to run with nobody aboard and kept an agent on its trains; Line 15 opened in 2014 with an operator on every train and needed ten years and a labour-court dispute to run without one — while the stretch to Cidade Tiradentes, in its 2010 contract, remains under analysis.

🚲 MobilityPublic transportAutonomous vehiclesPrivacy & personal data

Sources

↗ Motiva (former ViaQuatro) — about Line 4Operator page: 30-year PPP concession signed in 2006, partial commercial service from June 2010, 12.8 km, 'driverless' system that runs trains without a driver, about 570,000 people a day, headway down to 90 seconds and to 75 seconds in special peak situations. Other Motiva releases and Wikipedia quote higher daily figures; the entry uses this page's figure.
↗ Galaxia (PUC-SP) — 'Automacao e agencia humana na Linha 4-Amarela do metro de Sao Paulo'Published June 2015Peer-reviewed article by Janice Caiafa (UFRJ) on Line 4's automation: the line was designed for unattended operation (UTO) rather than DTO with an attendant aboard. The same author's 2021 ethnography documents that the concessionaire nevertheless keeps an agent on the trains.
↗ Diario do Transporte — Line 15 begins fully automated operation (14 Mar 2025)From the weekend of 15–16 March 2025 the monorail runs GoA4/UTO, at first on weekends only, later extended to off-peak and then all service; the Metro says no operator will lose their job; the Metroviários union and the national federation dispute its safety.
↗ TRT-2 (labour court) — sentence ordering operators back aboard Line 15Published 25 August 2025Court's own newsroom: the 14a Vara do Trabalho da Zona Leste-SP ruled on 22 Aug 2025 that operators must be present 'em todas as composicoes da Linha 15-Prata', 30 days to comply, daily fine of R$5,000, citing evacuation from a monorail viaduct about 15 m above the street.
↗ Mobilidade Sampa — TRT suspends the order (2 Sep 2025)Updated 10 September 2025'O Tribunal Regional do Trabalho (TRT) acolheu, nesta terca-feira (2), um recurso apresentado pelo Metro', granting 'efeito suspensivo a decisao que determinava o retorno dos operadores embarcados'; automated running 'segue em vigor', 'sem operadores embarcados'.
Show 11 more sourcesShow fewer
↗ Diario do Transporte — damages raised from R$100,000 to R$500,000 (16 May 2023)'A 8a Camara de Direito Publico do TJSP elevou de R$ 100 mil para R$ 500 mil a indenizacao coletiva a ser paga pela ViaQuatro'; 'o acordao e de 10 de maio'; equipment sat in platform doors at seven Line 4 stations and existed to capture reactions to advertising, not for security or train operation; damages go to the Fundo de Defesa de Direitos Difusos.
↗ Idec — consumer body that brought the actionPublished 12 May 2023 · updated 16 May 2023Plaintiff's account of the same case: first instance awarded R$100,000 in collective damages, raised to R$500,000 on the appeal of Idec, the Public Defender's Office and the Public Prosecutor's Office.
↗ Motiva — Line 5 (Lilac) FAQOperator states Line 5 trains are automatic because of CBTC but 'pode receber um upgrade' to driverless operation, which would require working platform doors. Basis for excluding Line 5 from the unattended count.
↗ CNN Brasil — Line 6 opens its first six stations (2 Jul 2026)Six stations opened on 2 July 2026 in 180 days of 'operacao assistida' with 'circulacao controlada dos trens'; free travel, weekdays 10h-15h only; Acciona builds and the concessionaire operates for 19 years. No driverless claim is made, so Line 6 is not counted as unattended.
↗ Metro de Sao Paulo — transparency portal, demand datasetThe state operator publishes monthly passengers carried per line in open format; basis for the statement that ridership, not punctuality or headway performance, is what is actually published.
↗ Fronteiras – estudos midiáticos (Unisinos) — Caiafa, 'Dinâmicas da inovação: automação integral da condução e agência humana na Linha 4' (2021)Published 26 April 2021Peer-reviewed ethnography of Line 4 by Janice Caiafa (UFRJ). Line 4 was conceived for unattended operation (UTO), but the concessionaire keeps an assistance and maintenance agent aboard the automatic trains, posted at the front beside the hidden console and trained on a simulator to take manual control in an emergency; station staffing also stayed higher than the project planned. Fieldwork before 2021.
↗ Diario do Transporte — Line 15 trains to run without operators from August (16 Jul 2024)The Metro announces that Line 15 trains will no longer carry operators (OTs) and will move to GoA4 automation from August 2024, with operators withdrawn gradually and no dismissals.
↗ Diario do Transporte — Line 15 automatic on Saturdays too, operators still aboard (5 Sep 2024)Automatic operation on Line 15 began on Sundays from 18 August 2024 and extended to Saturdays from 7 September 2024; in this transition the train operators remained aboard.
↗ Alstom — a decade of Line 15 monorail operation (29 Aug 2024)Supplier release marking ten years of Line 15, inaugurated on 30 August 2014.
↗ Diario do Transporte — Line 17 opens with automated trains (3 Apr 2026)Line 17 (Gold) monorail opened on 31 March 2026, designed for unattended operation (UTO) with CBTC; during the initial transitional phase staff accompany the trips while system reliability is checked.
↗ Diario do Transporte — Metro extends Line 15 monorail contract to April 2027 (21 Sep 2026)Line 15's implementation contract, signed in September 2010 for Vila Prudente–Hospital Cidade Tiradentes, received its 19th amendment; the stretch from Jacu-Pêssego to Hospital Cidade Tiradentes remains under analysis.

📅 How old is the evidence?

Two clocks, kept apart: when this entry’s sources were published, and what has happened to its record in the atlas. Documented span: since 2010. 13 of 16 sources carry a publication date, from June 2015 to 21 September 2026.

When the sources were published

  1. SciELO Brasil · researchGalaxia (PUC-SP) — 'Automacao e agencia humana na Linha 4-Amarela do metro de Sao Paulo'
  2. Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos) · researchFronteiras – estudos midiáticos (Unisinos) — Caiafa, 'Dinâmicas da inovação: automação integral da condução e agência humana na Linha 4' (2021)
  3. IDEC — Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor · ngoIdec — consumer body that brought the action · updated 16 May 2023
  4. Diário do Transporte · pressDiario do Transporte — damages raised from R$100,000 to R$500,000 (16 May 2023)
  5. Diário do Transporte · pressDiario do Transporte — Line 15 trains to run without operators from August (16 Jul 2024)
  6. Alstom · vendorAlstom — a decade of Line 15 monorail operation (29 Aug 2024)
  7. Diário do Transporte · pressDiario do Transporte — Line 15 automatic on Saturdays too, operators still aboard (5 Sep 2024)
  8. Diário do Transporte · pressDiario do Transporte — Line 15 begins fully automated operation (14 Mar 2025)
Show 5 more dated sourcesShow fewer
  1. Tribunal Regional do Trabalho da 2ª Região (TRT-2) · judiciaryTRT-2 (labour court) — sentence ordering operators back aboard Line 15
  2. Mobilidade Sampa · pressMobilidade Sampa — TRT suspends the order (2 Sep 2025) · updated 10 September 2025
  3. Diário do Transporte · pressDiario do Transporte — Line 17 opens with automated trains (3 Apr 2026)
  4. CNN Brasil · pressCNN Brasil — Line 6 opens its first six stations (2 Jul 2026)
  5. Diário do Transporte · pressDiario do Transporte — Metro extends Line 15 monorail contract to April 2027 (21 Sep 2026)

Every source, with links ↑

What happened to this record

  1. Sources last read
  2. Entered the record

Every revision, permanent →

Show your work What this page rests on and what it can’t tell you · all 18 claims with their sources · the forensic record

Evidence file · public beta 18 addressable claims, 16 source dossiers, one permanent baseline. The file is unreviewed — an AI-assisted structural migration, not a human or expert endorsement. Every revision keeps a permanent copy under revision history.

Inspect the claims, one by one — verbatim text, sources and caveats for all 18

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 1 clm-3350912bd4d81495 quantitative
Line 4 (Yellow) has run without a driver since 2010
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The operator says its trains run without a driver and dates partial commercial service to June 2010.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Motiva (former ViaQuatro) — about Line 4
Claim 2 clm-a2a033937e5acded descriptive
was designed for unattended (UTO) operation
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Both peer-reviewed articles by the same researcher state that Line 4 was conceived for unattended train operation, with nobody aboard.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Galaxia (PUC-SP) — 'Automacao e agencia humana na Linha 4-Amarela do metro de Sao Paulo'
  2. Fronteiras – estudos midiáticos (Unisinos) — Caiafa, 'Dinâmicas da inovação: automação integral da condução e agência humana na Linha 4' (2021)
Claim 3 clm-00fba64c3f0a16a5 quantitative
a 2021 peer-reviewed ethnography found the concessionaire keeping an assistance agent aboard its trains, trained to take manual control
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The ethnography describes assistance and maintenance agents posted at the front of the automatic trains, trained on a simulator to drive manually in an emergency.
Caveat
The fieldwork predates 2021; no later source says whether the practice continues.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Fronteiras – estudos midiáticos (Unisinos) — Caiafa, 'Dinâmicas da inovação: automação integral da condução e agência humana na Linha 4' (2021)
Claim 4 clm-d16294d76ec583aa quantitative
a concessionaire, today Motiva Linha 4, operates it under a 30-year state PPP signed in 2006
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The operator page states the 2006 contract with the state government and its 30-year term.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Motiva (former ViaQuatro) — about Line 4
Claim 5 clm-2091004d8d7da5d5 quantitative
The state-owned Metro's Line 15 monorail opened in 2014
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The rolling-stock supplier's anniversary release dates the line's inauguration to 30 August 2014.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alstom — a decade of Line 15 monorail operation (29 Aug 2024)
Claim 6 clm-b8316eee95a7dcff descriptive
with an operator on every train
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The 2024 report says the monorail's trains would no longer carry operators, i.e. they had until then.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Diario do Transporte — Line 15 trains to run without operators from August (16 Jul 2024)
Claim 7 clm-b50f05ba8fa460c2 quantitative
began automatic GoA4 running in August 2024 with the operators still aboard
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Automatic operation began on Sundays from 18 August 2024, and in that transition the operators stayed aboard.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Diario do Transporte — Line 15 automatic on Saturdays too, operators still aboard (5 Sep 2024)
  2. Diario do Transporte — Line 15 trains to run without operators from August (16 Jul 2024)
Claim 8 clm-60ad69d58e28a969 quantitative
started running with no operator aboard in March 2025, at weekends first
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The report dates the start of operator-free running to the weekend of 15–16 March 2025, at first on weekends only.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Diario do Transporte — Line 15 begins fully automated operation (14 Mar 2025)
Claim 9 clm-233140e59f867812 quantitative
a labour judge ordered the operators back in August 2025
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The labour court's newsroom reports the 22 August 2025 ruling ordering operators back on every Line 15 train.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. TRT-2 (labour court) — sentence ordering operators back aboard Line 15
Claim 10 clm-cb2c158b4f539f9d quantitative
the labour court suspended that order on the Metro's appeal on 2 September 2025
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The report says the regional labour court accepted the Metro's appeal on 2 September 2025 and suspended the order to put operators back aboard.
Caveat
The date of the appeal ruling is not stated in the sources listed here.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Mobilidade Sampa — TRT suspends the order (2 Sep 2025)
Claim 11 clm-c7c203d6c93b9a02 quantitative
Line 5 is automatic but staffed
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The operator explains that Line 5 trains are automatic under CBTC but carry train operators, and could only drop them once platform doors work.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Motiva — Line 5 (Lilac) FAQ
Claim 12 clm-cf75d308a74831c6 quantitative
the six Line 6 stations opened in July 2026 make no driverless claim
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The opening report describes six stations in assisted operation from 3 July 2026 and says nothing about driverless running.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. CNN Brasil — Line 6 opens its first six stations (2 Jul 2026)
Claim 13 clm-6c907f92f3a6c5b5 quantitative
the Line 17 monorail, opened in March 2026 for unattended running, carried staff on its trips during its transitional phase
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The report dates the opening to 31 March 2026, describes the UTO design and says staff accompany the trips during the transitional phase.
Caveat
The report describes the first weeks of service; no later source states when, or whether, staff left the trains.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Diario do Transporte — Line 17 opens with automated trains (3 Apr 2026)
Claim 14 clm-69e4929665c3902c quantitative
platform-door cameras read passengers' reactions to adverts in 2018
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The report says the 2018 cameras in platform doors captured reactions to advertising, not security footage.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Diario do Transporte — damages raised from R$100,000 to R$500,000 (16 May 2023)
Claim 15 clm-8e340c05485b1b4a quantitative
in May 2023 an appeal court raised ViaQuatro's collective damages from R$100,000 to R$500,000
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The São Paulo court's appeal ruling of 10 May 2023 raised the collective damages fivefold; the plaintiff's account gives both amounts.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Diario do Transporte — damages raised from R$100,000 to R$500,000 (16 May 2023)
  2. Idec — consumer body that brought the action
Claim 16 clm-acaad839ddb07d8f quantitative
Line 4 was designed to run with nobody aboard and kept an agent on its trains
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The ethnography contrasts the unattended design with the agents found on the automatic trains.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Fronteiras – estudos midiáticos (Unisinos) — Caiafa, 'Dinâmicas da inovação: automação integral da condução e agência humana na Linha 4' (2021)
Claim 17 clm-bf6a1568da6cc3d3 quantitative
Line 15 opened in 2014 with an operator on every train and needed ten years and a labour-court dispute to run without one
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The line opened in August 2014; automatic running with operators aboard came ten years later; a first-instance ruling, its suspension and an appeal ruling followed the operators' withdrawal.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alstom — a decade of Line 15 monorail operation (29 Aug 2024)
  2. Diario do Transporte — Line 15 automatic on Saturdays too, operators still aboard (5 Sep 2024)
  3. TRT-2 (labour court) — sentence ordering operators back aboard Line 15
  4. Mobilidade Sampa — TRT suspends the order (2 Sep 2025)
Claim 18 clm-65d970d0f4b708d7 quantitative
the stretch to Cidade Tiradentes, in its 2010 contract, remains under analysis
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The report says the contract signed in September 2010 covered Vila Prudente–Hospital Cidade Tiradentes and that the stretch beyond Jacu-Pêssego remains under analysis.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Diario do Transporte — Metro extends Line 15 monorail contract to April 2027 (21 Sep 2026)
Forensic record — source dossiers, gaps, hashes and the exact revision this page renders

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-11-04-evidence-baseline effective 2026-11-03 · created 2026-11-04

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:a227776973c57046a99c9492dc92326ad20dbbb2c41200837ee78707aa17e533
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
18
of 18 claims mapped
16
source dossiers
12
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo (Metro, state-owned) for Line 15; Motiva Linha 4 (former ViaQuatro) for Line 4 under a state PPP concession
Actor types
utility, private
Funding model
mixed
Funding description
State of Sao Paulo: Line 4 publicly built and operated under a 30-year PPP concession, Line 15 publicly built and operated by the state Metro company
Cost
Not recorded
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

16 source dossiers

Motiva (former ViaQuatro) — about Line 4 trilhos.motiva.com.br · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-33af7b4863e9b170
Publisher
Name not classified · trilhos.motiva.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Operator page: 30-year PPP concession signed in 2006, partial commercial service from June 2010, 12.8 km, 'driverless' system that runs trains without a driver, about 570,000 people a day, headway down to 90 seconds and to 75 seconds in special peak situations. Other Motiva releases and Wikipedia quote higher daily figures; the entry uses this page's figure.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Galaxia (PUC-SP) — 'Automacao e agencia humana na Linha 4-Amarela do metro de Sao Paulo' scielo.br · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-af5c849dd526d5ca
Publisher
Name not classified · scielo.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Peer-reviewed article by Janice Caiafa (UFRJ) on Line 4's automation: the line was designed for unattended operation (UTO) rather than DTO with an attendant aboard. The same author's 2021 ethnography documents that the concessionaire nevertheless keeps an agent on the trains.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Diario do Transporte — Line 15 begins fully automated operation (14 Mar 2025) diariodotransporte.com.br · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d67e8e48bc650fdf
Publisher
Name not classified · diariodotransporte.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-03-14
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

From the weekend of 15–16 March 2025 the monorail runs GoA4/UTO, at first on weekends only, later extended to off-peak and then all service; the Metro says no operator will lose their job; the Metroviários union and the national federation dispute its safety.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
TRT-2 (labour court) — sentence ordering operators back aboard Line 15 ww2.trt2.jus.br · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-f4938d9d7b3ea8d7
Publisher
Name not classified · ww2.trt2.jus.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-08-25
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Court's own newsroom: the 14a Vara do Trabalho da Zona Leste-SP ruled on 22 Aug 2025 that operators must be present 'em todas as composicoes da Linha 15-Prata', 30 days to comply, daily fine of R$5,000, citing evacuation from a monorail viaduct about 15 m above the street.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Mobilidade Sampa — TRT suspends the order (2 Sep 2025) mobilidadesampa.com.br · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-4015d83e36d4edfa
Publisher
Name not classified · mobilidadesampa.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-09-02
Updated
2025-09-10
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

'O Tribunal Regional do Trabalho (TRT) acolheu, nesta terca-feira (2), um recurso apresentado pelo Metro', granting 'efeito suspensivo a decisao que determinava o retorno dos operadores embarcados'; automated running 'segue em vigor', 'sem operadores embarcados'.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Diario do Transporte — damages raised from R$100,000 to R$500,000 (16 May 2023) diariodotransporte.com.br · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-98a14d800cf52547
Publisher
Name not classified · diariodotransporte.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2023-05-16
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

'A 8a Camara de Direito Publico do TJSP elevou de R$ 100 mil para R$ 500 mil a indenizacao coletiva a ser paga pela ViaQuatro'; 'o acordao e de 10 de maio'; equipment sat in platform doors at seven Line 4 stations and existed to capture reactions to advertising, not for security or train operation; damages go to the Fundo de Defesa de Direitos Difusos.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Idec — consumer body that brought the action idec.org.br · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-37aaf8f35102be35
Publisher
Name not classified · idec.org.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2023-05-12
Updated
2023-05-16
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Plaintiff's account of the same case: first instance awarded R$100,000 in collective damages, raised to R$500,000 on the appeal of Idec, the Public Defender's Office and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Motiva — Line 5 (Lilac) FAQ trilhos.motiva.com.br · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-263637616ceebefc
Publisher
Name not classified · trilhos.motiva.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Operator states Line 5 trains are automatic because of CBTC but 'pode receber um upgrade' to driverless operation, which would require working platform doors. Basis for excluding Line 5 from the unattended count.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
CNN Brasil — Line 6 opens its first six stations (2 Jul 2026) cnnbrasil.com.br · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d25d3e4c0a809b18
Publisher
Name not classified · cnnbrasil.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-07-02
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Six stations opened on 2 July 2026 in 180 days of 'operacao assistida' with 'circulacao controlada dos trens'; free travel, weekdays 10h-15h only; Acciona builds and the concessionaire operates for 19 years. No driverless claim is made, so Line 6 is not counted as unattended.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Metro de Sao Paulo — transparency portal, demand dataset transparencia.metrosp.com.br · background

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-b490665c0db5a780
Publisher
Name not classified · transparencia.metrosp.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The state operator publishes monthly passengers carried per line in open format; basis for the statement that ridership, not punctuality or headway performance, is what is actually published.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Background source; no baseline claim points here
Fronteiras – estudos midiáticos (Unisinos) — Caiafa, 'Dinâmicas da inovação: automação integral da condução e agência humana na Linha 4' (2021) revistas.unisinos.br · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-9de768c40c0c2446
Publisher
Name not classified · revistas.unisinos.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2021-04-26
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Peer-reviewed ethnography of Line 4 by Janice Caiafa (UFRJ). Line 4 was conceived for unattended operation (UTO), but the concessionaire keeps an assistance and maintenance agent aboard the automatic trains, posted at the front beside the hidden console and trained on a simulator to take manual control in an emergency; station staffing also stayed higher than the project planned. Fieldwork before 2021.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Diario do Transporte — Line 15 trains to run without operators from August (16 Jul 2024) diariodotransporte.com.br · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-49c3e30f24b79341
Publisher
Name not classified · diariodotransporte.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-07-16
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The Metro announces that Line 15 trains will no longer carry operators (OTs) and will move to GoA4 automation from August 2024, with operators withdrawn gradually and no dismissals.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Diario do Transporte — Line 15 automatic on Saturdays too, operators still aboard (5 Sep 2024) diariodotransporte.com.br · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-2619c5170b251638
Publisher
Name not classified · diariodotransporte.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-09-05
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Automatic operation on Line 15 began on Sundays from 18 August 2024 and extended to Saturdays from 7 September 2024; in this transition the train operators remained aboard.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Alstom — a decade of Line 15 monorail operation (29 Aug 2024) alstom.com · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d9c88973a4658079
Publisher
Name not classified · alstom.com
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
2024-08-29
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Supplier release marking ten years of Line 15, inaugurated on 30 August 2014.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Diario do Transporte — Line 17 opens with automated trains (3 Apr 2026) diariodotransporte.com.br · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-4171dd8223b978f6
Publisher
Name not classified · diariodotransporte.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-04-03
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Line 17 (Gold) monorail opened on 31 March 2026, designed for unattended operation (UTO) with CBTC; during the initial transitional phase staff accompany the trips while system reliability is checked.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Diario do Transporte — Metro extends Line 15 monorail contract to April 2027 (21 Sep 2026) diariodotransporte.com.br · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-2c969fc2ff33cda9
Publisher
Name not classified · diariodotransporte.com.br
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-09-21
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-11-03
Dossier created
2026-11-04
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Line 15's implementation contract, signed in September 2010 for Vila Prudente–Hospital Cidade Tiradentes, received its 19th amendment; the stretch from Jacu-Pêssego to Hospital Cidade Tiradentes remains under analysis.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Known limits of this file
  • Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
  • Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
  • A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
  • The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.

Continue exploring

Compare this project

🇨🇦 Réseau express métropolitain: a pension fund's driverless metro · Montreal Unattended rail in private hands: the REM opened GoA4 in 2023; São Paulo's PPP Line 4 is driverless but still keeps an agent aboard. 🇮🇳 Delhi Metro's Driverless Lines: Magenta & Pink · New Delhi The same gap: Delhi's operators left the cab in 2025; São Paulo's Line 15 opened staffed in 2014 and lost its operators in March 2025. 🇮🇳 Mumbai Metro Aqua Line (Line 3) — Automated Underground Corridor · Mumbai Rated but staffed, as in Mumbai: São Paulo's Line 5 is automatic under CBTC and would need working platform doors to lose its crew.

Explore the wider context

🔑 Your Smart City Is Owned by Someone Else📖 CBTC (communications-based train control)📖 Grades of Automation (GoA)📖 Personal rapid transit (PRT)
📎 Cite this project

1001 Smart Cities (2026). “São Paulo Metro: the lines built to run with nobody aboard” — São Paulo, Brazil. The Smart City Atlas. https://1001smartcities.org/projects/sao-paulo-metro-driverless/ (last verified 2026-11-03). Data: CC BY 4.0.

The underlying data is free to reuse with attribution — see the open data page.

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