Which North American metro system was the first to be fully driverless?

Vancouver SkyTrain was the first fully driverless metro system in North America. Its Expo Line began service in 1985, using automated train control on a grade-separated route built around Vancouver’s Expo 86 transportation legacy.

SkyTrain’s trains are supervised by computerized control systems rather than operated by onboard drivers. The Expo and Millennium lines use linear-induction-motor technology, which propels trains without conventional rotating traction motors. The system’s elevated guideways, tunnels, and automatic signaling allow frequent service without crossing street traffic.

The opening was closely tied to Expo 86. The first 21.4-kilometre section between Waterfront and New Westminster began limited fare-free service on December 11, 1985; regular revenue service followed in January 1986. The system later expanded through Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, and Vancouver International Airport.

A useful distinction is that “first in North America” does not mean first worldwide. Kobe’s Port Island Line opened in Japan in 1981 and is generally credited as the first fully automated driverless mass-transit rail network. Vancouver’s achievement was bringing that operating model to a large urban rapid-transit system in North America.