San Francisco pays 212 million USD for transition from 5.25-inch floppy disks

Technology evolution San Francisco pays 212 million USD for transition from 5.25-inch floppy disks

2024-10-27 From Manuel Christa | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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The outdated train control system of San Francisco's Muni Metro is set to operate without 5.25-inch floppy disks in the future. The transition from the DOS software, which resides on the disks, will cost a total of 212 million USD and is expected to be completed only by 2028. Why did the transportation authorities wait so long to upgrade?

San Francisco's Metro is now phasing out floppy disks.(Image: AI-generated) — San Francisco's Metro is now phasing out floppy disks.
(Image: AI-generated)

In the train control computer of Muni Metro, San Francisco's subway, 5.25-inch floppy disks are still in use. Not the more compact and solid 3.5-inch disks that the younger generation only knows as the save icon from office apps, but the floppy, wafer-thin squares with capacities ranging from 120 KB to 1.2 MB.

In 1998, the California Metro in San Francisco (USA) received a system based on floppy disks, which were already outdated at the time. 5.25 inches was the form factor of the 70s and 80s, while by the late 90s, 3.5 inches were becoming obsolete due to CD-ROMs and USB drives.

When the floppy disks are finally phased out in 2028, they will have served for exactly three decades at San Francisco's transit authorities. Just as with PCs and the rest of the IT world, storage media will then also become obsolete there, as the communication of the Muni Metro will be switched to WiFi and mobile signals.

Why is the transition happening after nearly 30 years?

The decision for the upgrade was ultimately made because spare parts as well as expertise in programming languages from the 1990s are becoming increasingly scarce. The old technology was maintained for so long because public transportation in the USA was not a high priority, and maintenance had been cheaper than a complete system overhaul including planning. Additionally, the system was originally designed to last 20 to 25 years, and a transition always involves risks.

The currently planned switch, it is conceded, is costly not least because it was delayed for so long. However, maintenance has become more expensive, making an upgrade more cost-effective in the long term. (mc)

Link: Ars Technica

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