Driverless train marks new beginning for Delhi Metro
NEW DELHI: The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot inaugurated the Driverless Train Operations (DTO) on the 59-km long Pink Line (Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar) of Delhi Metro via videoconferencing on Thursday. With this, the Delhi Metro’s fully automated network grows to 97 km, making it the only DTO network in India and the 4th largest in the world.
The DTO facility was launched on the Magenta Line in 2020 with which saw Delhi Metro enter the elite league of 7 per cent metros in the world that operated fully automated metro networks. “The driverless trains will eliminate the manual process of checking done before induction, subsequently reducing burden on train operators. The parking on stabling line in depots will also be done automatically,” said a senior DMRC official.
The DMRC has already started reaping benefits of driverless operations on its Magenta Line in terms of increased availability of coaches for service. Reliability of trains have increased manifold due to exhaustive self-tests done before induction in daily service, automatically eliminating all possibilities of human error.
DMRC said that in the initial period, a train operator will be present in the DTO to instil confidence and assistance. DTO’s higher level of diagnostic features will help move from time-based maintenance to condition-based maintenance that will reduce maintenance down time of trains.
With the completion of Phase IV, driverless operations will be available on all extensions of the Pink and Magenta Lines as well as on the Silver Line to connect Aerocity—Tughalakabad. With this, DMRC will become the world’s second largest driverless Metro network with 160 kilometres of DTO equipped corridors.
Driverless Train Operations flagged off on Pink Line
- The only DTO network in India, and 4th largest in the world
- The Pink Line connects Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar. Total length 59 km
- With this driverless train operation, Delhi Metro’s fully automated network grows to 97 km
- After implementing Phase IV, DMRC will become the world’s second-largest driverless Metro network with 160 km of DTO equipped corridors