Delhi Metro sets up new command centre

The new OCC, inaugurated by DMRC’s managing director Vikas Kumar, has been designed as a state-of-the-art control and command centre

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Wednesday unveiled a new Operation Control Centre (OCC) at the Metro Bhawan – DMRC’s headquarters -- which will be used to monitor and control operations on the Red Line (Rithala to Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda), the Yellow Line (Samaypur Badli to Millennium City Centre Gurugram) and three upcoming Phase-4 corridors, including the Golden Line (Aerocity-Tughlakabad) officials aware of the matter said.

The new OCC will control the Yellow and Blue Lines and the under-construction Golden Line. (HT Photo)

The new OCC, inaugurated by DMRC’s managing director Vikas Kumar, has been designed as a state-of-the-art control and command centre and was operationalised at Metro Bhawan’s third floor. Till now, operations for the Red and Yellow lines were being run from a command centre located at Shastri Park Metro station in north east Delhi. Other lines are managed by command centres located floors number four and six at the Metro Bhawan.

DMRC said with the commissioning of this new OCC, the entire DMRC network will be controlled in an integrated manner from one building.

An OCC provides a comprehensive view of the entire Metro system, including rolling stock, access to Metro stations via CCTV feeds, control of signals and track control, along with the trains. It also allows Metro officials to observe both the concourse and platforms of stations, allowing the DMRC to relay information to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) or its own staff at the station, if an intervention is needed.

“This is a major step towards creating the necessary infrastructure for commencement of operations on the Phase-4 corridors of the Delhi Metro. The main objective in setting up an integrated OCC at Metro Bhawan is to ensure centralized monitoring and controlling, in the event of disruptions or failures in the Metro system. With 29 interchange Metro stations at present, a failure in one line could potentially impact other lines,” said Anuj Dayal, principal executive director, corporate communications at DMRC, stating the new OCC will control Yellow, Blue and the under-construction Golden Line (Aerocity-Tughlakabad).

Infrastructure for two other Phase 4 lines -- Rithala – Bawana-Narela-Kundli and Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block, which are yet to be approved by the Centre -- has also been readied in the same control room, officials said.