Agreed, perhaps autonomous/semi autonomous passenger carrying aircraft in another 60 - 100 years, but by which time none of us currently on PPrune will be flying any more.
I can see the benefits of reducing the number of ‘cruise pilots’ required on certain long-haul routes. But single pilot/pilotless operations? Not until they’ve proven (over many years) driverless cars and lorries can operate safely without driving their passengers into oncoming traffic/off a cliff.
Driverless trains are simply no comparison. Excuse my ignorance of the job of a train driver, but trains are literally linear and on rails. They go forwards/backwards, speed up, slow down and stop. If there is an unseen or sudden blockage on the line the train goes off the track whether there is a driver there or not. Not quite the same given the huge number of variables in aviation which may lead to a less than ideal ‘day out’, but have proven to be overcome by a team of professional aircrew when the automation is proven next to useless or even potentially a burden to the job at hand.