NEW DELHI: From inaugurating a new section of line to the launching of driverless train operations, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) launched a number of pioneering technologies and incentives to enable smoother commute. Despite Covid-19 induced conditions, DMRC managed to bag the Award for Excellence in Urban Transport by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Here’s a gist of the highlights:
January 15: In its pursuit to further upgrade its world class training facility at the Delhi Metro Rail Academy (DMRA), Shastri Park, a new four-storey simulator building was inaugurated in the DMRA premises.
January 21: First tunnel boring machine (TBM) of this phase started its drive to bore a 1.4-kilometre-long tunnel from Vikaspuri to Krishna Park Extension on the Janakpuri West – R K Ashram Marg corridor. Two parallel circular tunnels for up and down movement are being constructed on this stretch which is a part of the 2.2 km-long underground section from Janakpuri West to Keshopur.
February 9: Delhi Metro commissioned 10 additional escalators at nine Metro stations including two new ones at Kashmere Gate Metro station, thereby, taking the total tally of escalators at this station alone to a record 47 escalators for convenient passenger movement.
February 25: Dr Mangu Singh, Managing Director/DMRC flagged off a fleet of 25 e-rickshaws, called ‘ETO’ from Jamia Millia Islamia Metro station of Magenta Line. These e-rickshaws ply from 6 am to 11 pm daily.
March 31: Delhi Metro introduced the facility of recharging the Delhi Metro Smart Cards through
Amazon Pay.
July 6: For the first time in India, a FASTag/UPI-based cashless parking facility was launched at Kashmere Gate Metro Station.
August 6: The connecting link between Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 and Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake Metro stations of Pink Line was formally inaugurated.
August 12: Delhi Metro introduced Feeder Electric Buses on trial basis under which 25 low floor e-buses (24-seater) are plying from two routes from Shashtri Park Metro Station.
September 18: The Dhansa Bus Stand – Najafgarh section on the Grey Line of Delhi Metro.
September 26: The DMRC has earned `19.5 crore from the sale of 3.55 million carbon credits which it had collected from 2012 to 2018.
October 17: Delhi Metro introduced free high speed Wi-Fi service for its 37 metro stations on the Yellow Line that runs mostly underground through one of Delhi’s most congested parts.
October 29: DMRC flagged off a fleet of 25 e-rickshaws, called ‘ETO’ from Noida Electronic City Metro station of Blue Line. These e-rickshaws will be plying from 6 am to 11 pm daily.
November 22: DMRC launched the first prototype of an indigenous Rolling Stock Driver Training System (RSDTS) and also demonstrated the functioning of a Super – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
November 25: The Driverless Train Operations (DTO) was inaugurated on the 59 km long Pink Line (Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar) of Delhi Metro.
November 28: A documentary film produced by the DMRC titled ‘Surmounting Challenges’ was screened at the 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), held in Goa. The 28-minute long non-feature film deals with construction-related challenges faced by DMRC during Phase 3 of expansion.
November 29: The first mid-life refurbished metro train was unveiled at the Yamuna Bank that was introduced into service in 2007. This endeavour is part of DMRC’s special drive to refurbish all 70 Metro trains that DMRC procured in Phase-I.
December 24: The field trial of the first ever developed i-ATS technology (Indigenous – Automatic Train Supervision) for the Red Line (Shaheed Sthal — Rithala) was inaugurated. An exhibition themed ‘Tracing Delhi Metro’s Journey’ was also inaugurated at Kashmere Gate metro station.