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Floppy disk-reliant San Francisco train control system spurs concerns of 'catastrophic failure' — and it won't be replaced for at least another decade

We hope the SFMTA exec wasn't talking about a human catastrophe.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA's) train control center has been reliant on a floppy disk-based computer system since 1998, according to an ABC7 News report. As well as this being something of a surprise for Silicon Valley residents, it is alarming to hear the SFMTA director worries that there won’t be an upgrade before a “catastrophic failure” occurs. There is no contractor yet, so the decade-long development cycle has yet to begin, but officials are aiming for an all-encompassing system for trains and subways in San Francisco and surrounding areas.

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