PM Modi inaugurates India’s first-ever driverless train on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line

PM Modi on Monday inaugurated via video conference India’s first driverless train on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line connecting Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden. He also launched the fully operational National Common Mobility Card service on the Airport Express Line. Delhi Metro is expected to have driverless operations by mid-2021.

He said the inauguration of the country’s first driverless metro shows how fast India is moving towards smart systems. The Prime Minister said, “Make In India is very important for the expansion of metro services. It reduces cost, savings foreign currency and provides more employment to Indian people.” These innovations will herald a new era of travelling comfort and enhanced mobility.

“First metro in Delhi was started with the efforts of Atal Ji. When our govt was formed in 2014, only 5 cities had metro services and today 18 cities have metro rail service. By 2025, we will take this service to more than 25 cities,” the Prime Minister said.

The first ‘driverless’ train will roll out on the 37-km long Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro. The driverless trains will be fully automated, which will eliminate the possibility of human error.The extension of this technology to the Pink Line will increase the driverless network on the Delhi Metro to around 94 km, which is nearly 9% of Delhi Metro’s total network.The ‘driverless’ trains will have six coaches. Each coach can accommodate a maximum of 380 passengers, which translates to 2,280 passengers on each train.It will be equipped with several advanced features such as better regeneration of energy during braking, energy-efficient subsystems.They are designed for a maximum speed of 95 kmph and operational speed of 85 kmph, the Delhi Metro had said.The cabin-less trains would be able to accommodate 40 commuters more in a six coach train as the driver’s cab will not be required in such trains.With this, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will enter the elite league of 7% of the world’s Metro networks, which can operate without drivers.

Initial launch was set for May this year, however, the programme had to be postponed because of the coronavirus lockdown but the facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.