Please consider how improved automation of railway signalling over the past 150 years has made that system vastly safer. The Docklands Light Railway is entirely automated - no drivers at all and I don't recall having heard of a single signalling-induced accident.
Trains can stop though, aeroplanes can't.
Someone mentioned CDAs (Continuous Descent Arrivals). The Holy Grail for these is selection of flight idle at top of descent, the next time the power is required is to taxy off the runway
The problem with that is lots of aircraft being at TOD at the same time they can't all do what they want. They have to be streamed and put into a landing order, some might get a continuous idle descent but most won't.
As a controller, for me safety is my primary concern before anything else, I try to be safe at all times, unfortunately i make mistakes occasionally, thats human nature. If something happens that i deem unsafe or could do with improving, i report it. Nats for all its faults actively encourages this, so for "Andrew" to knock this is wrong.