India’s first driverless train operations launched on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line: All you need to know

Updated : December 30, 2020 05:17 PM IST

India has become one of the few countries which can operate driverless trains

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated India’s first driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, connecting Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden.

With the operationalisation of these trains, India has become one of the few countries which can operate driverless trains

The Prime Minister also launched the National Common Mobility Card Service on the Airport Express Line. The card will enable anyone carrying a RuPay-Debit Card to travel on the route using it.

Addressing the event via video conferencing, Modi said that the Metro train services will be extended to 25 cities by 2025 from the current 18 cities.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which has achieved a technological milestone with the launch, had in September 2017 started the trials of its driverless trains along a 20-km-long stretch on the Pink Line,

All you need to know about the driverless Metro train operations:

1. The driverless trains of Delhi Metro will offer more reliability and safety due to reduced human intervention.

2. This system will also bring more flexibility in trains in operation. As a result, the number of trains in service can be regulated based on demand dynamically without any dependence on the availability of crew.

3. There are six coaches in a driverless train and each of them has four PAD (Passenger Alert Device) button. In case of emergency, a passenger can press the button and the footage will be sent to the operations control room to take the necessary action.

4. An obstruction detection device (ODD) has been placed below the main coach on the track facing side. This equipment can sense hurdlers through a sensor.

5. These trains operate on communication-based signalling system, they can be run with a headway as high as 90 seconds to offer more carrying capacity

6. The DMRC said the higher level of diagnostic features in driverless train operation will "help move from conventional time-based maintenance to condition-based maintenance.

7. The mechanism will also reduce maintenance downtime of trains.

8. By mid-2021, the driverless train operations will also be launched on Delhi Metro’s Pink Line, connecting Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar.

(With inputs from PTI)

India’s first driverless train operations launched on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line: All you need to know

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