As you exit the Shivaji Stadium station, an inviting hoarding catches your eye -- “The Metro Experience”, it reads. The centrepiece of this innovative museum inside the station, open to the public recently for an immersive experience, is the thrilling simulator, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step into the shoes of a metro driver. TMS spent a few hours of a morning here to test drive it.
Like a scene from a high-tech video game, the simulator places you in a recreated metro cabin, with a dashboard and a lifelike control panel. With a joystick at your command, you navigate through virtual landscapes, experiencing the twists and turns of metro tracks, from underground tunnels to elevated bridges. Pre-recorded metro announcements echo in the background, providing a true-to-life experience of a metro ride. Pulling the lever means that the journey has started, and the controls are in the joystick. The metro starts when you pull back the joystick and when you are about to arrive at a station you can just simply push the joystick forward.
The dashboard includes various indicators, among which is a model of a monitor enabling the driver to observe the metro gates. This monitor serves the purpose of monitoring gate traffic, allowing the driver to make informed decisions regarding their operation, including the option to close them if necessary.
Taking the quiz
Despite Shivaji Stadium being a station primarily serving commuters travelling to and from the airport or having workplaces around the metro line, the metro museum draws good traffic. Visitors from far and wide, like Aadit S Pandey, 20, from Noida, are drawn to the museum’s immersive exhibits. For Aadit, the highlight is the floor-mounted LED monitor Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) quiz—‘When was the women’s coach introduced in Delhi metro?’, ‘In which year did Delhi metro enter the NCR for the first time?’ or ‘Which Delhi metro station has the tallest escalator?’— offering daily users fascinating insights into lesser-known facets of Delhi Metro’s infrastructure.
“I was aware of the tallest DMRC escalator at Janakpuri West since it was mentioned at that metro station. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Hauz Khas has the deepest escalator. It’s fascinating to learn such details about daily transport,” says Pandey.
Ambesh Jha, 19, from Patparganj, similarly praises the museum’s interactive approach. “I have visited the metro museum at Patel Chowk, but that is not interactive, this one is, which not only educates but also entertains, making learning about the DMRC an enjoyable experience,” he says.
Plans to relocate
Even those not using the metro on a particular day, make it a point to stop by to visit the museum, such as Satyajit, a travel agency worker. For him, witnessing the intricate network of underground and above-ground metro lines on display provides a newfound appreciation for the DMRC’s efforts in connecting different parts of the city. The museum’s two wide-screen digital kiosks further elevate the experience, offering a glimpse into DMRC’s remarkable journey since its inception in 1995, as well as guiding visitors to iconic landmarks and tourist attractions near metro stations.
While the museum’s initial home is at Shivaji Stadium, plans are already in motion for a grand relocation to the Supreme Court metro station. Set to unveil a plethora of new exhibits, this move promises an even more immersive and enlightening experience for metro enthusiasts soon.