Starting next week, Metro to roll out first driverless train on Magenta Line

DMRC will complete 18 years of operations on December 25. DMRC sources said they have reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office to get PM Narendra Modi during the launch of the driverless train services.

Delhi Metro’s first ‘driverless’ train is likely to roll out by next week on the Magenta Line, when the country’s largest rapid urban mass transit completes 18 years of operations.

While trains running on Pink and Magenta Lines are equipped to run “unattended” — they can run without train operators — Metro has not yet switched to complete automation. Currently, trains plying on these corridors have drivers on board. Drivers don’t have to do much apart from closing doors, as the automated system takes care of speed, opening of doors, among other things.

This was also made possible due to the implementation of the signalling technology called Communication Based Train Control (CBTC).

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DMRC will complete 18 years of operations on December 25. DMRC sources said they have reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office to get PM Narendra Modi during the launch of the driverless train services.

DMRC sources said necessary changes in the Metro Railway General Rules will soon be notified to make the transition to driverless train operations possible. The prevailing norms do not allow train operations in the absence of a driver.

It is learnt that the driverless trains will have attendants on board to intervene in case of emergencies. They will not be stationed in the driver’s cabin, but will intervene whenever required.

Both Pink and Magenta Lines came up as part of Metro’s phase III project. The 58-km-long Pink Line connects Majlis Park with Shiv Vihar, while Magenta Line, measuring 38 km, stretches between Janakpuri West and Noida Botanical Garden.

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