How the driverless Delhi Metro journey will be a world-class treat

A closer look at the new driverless Delhi Metro trains, which are may offer the passengers on a world-class treat:

In a major push towards automation, Delhi Metro trains will soon go driverless as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is launching new swanky ‘driverless trains’ that will accommodate passengers end to end.

Delhi first driverless metro trains at Mukandpur DMRC Depot . (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The trial runs will start in July but driverless operations will start in 2017. The trains have been acquired from a Korea-based firm and are being assembled in India.

A closer look at the new driverless Delhi Metro trains, which are may offer the passengers on a world-class treat:

(Vipin Kumar/ HT Photo)

HOW WILL THE DRIVERLESS METRO RUN

The trains will be controlled from a control room and operations will be automated. Initially, they will be run by operators and trials for unattended operations will be held

Two-way communication between operation control centre (OCC) and train

Live streaming from inside car CCTV system to operation control centre

Obstruction deflection device to remove small obstructions on track to avoid derailment

Two front-facing cameras to keep a tab on the tracks and prevent suicides

The new trains will operate on the upcoming line 7 (Pink line: Majlis Park – Shiv Vihar) and 8 (Magenta: Janakpuri West – Botanical Garden) of Phase 3. The trial run is likely to start in July.

WHEN WILL THE TRIAL RUNS OF THE METRO BEGIN

BY JULY 2016

Botanical Garden to Kalkaji - 13.5km

Terminal 1 IGI Airport to Janakpuri (West) - 9.86km

ITO to Kashmere Gate - 5.00km

BY SEPT 2016

Terminal 1 IGI Airport to Kalkaji - 14.87km

Indraprastha Extension to Shiv Vihar - 14.00km

BY OCT 2016

Majlis Park to Lajpat Nagar - 19.00km

BY DEC 2016

Lajpat Nagar to Indraprastha Extension - 15.00km

With new colour-coded seats and change in design, the capacity of six-coach trains has been increased to 1,866 from 1,780 people per train.

COLOUR CODING

Six coaches with coloured seats in each train

Seats of first and last coach, dedicated for women, will be pink

Reserved seats darker in colour. If seat colour is blue, colour of two reserved seats will be dark blue

Strap outside coach based on colour of line. For example, in phase 3, line 7 is pink and line 8 is magenta

(Vipin Kumar/ HT Photo )

The Delhi Metro’s latest update will be both more efficient as well as cost effective. Here are all the features of the upgrade:

How are they better

MORE CAPACITY 60 additional passengers to be accommodated once driver’s cabin is removed

FASTER 10% increase in speed

ENERGY EFFICIENT 20% lower energy consumption

WIDER COACHES 3.2m wide coaches against the existing 2.9m

MORE SPACE Equipment placed beneath the seats to release additional space (2.0 sqm) for 12 more passengers

STAY CONNECTED Wi-Fi facility

DIGITAL ROUTE MAP - 37 inch LED type, fully programmable with dynamic change of split screens. Also LCD screens with videos, graphics, animations, real-time video streaming

BREATHE BETTER Improved air circulation

MORE POWER TO YOU Charging points + USB port facility

CONVENIENCE Lumbar support, backrest near wheelchair area, with redesigned grab rail/pole layout

BETTER DESIGN Improved floor design with high density ceramic wool insulation

QUIETER Wheels with noise dampers

Delhi first driverless metro trains at Mukandpur DMRC Depot . (Hindustan Times)

With this, Delhi will soon be among those few cities of the world with driverless Metro trains. Driverless train systems in other cities are:

Copenhagen Metro

Rome Metro Line C

Milan Metro Line 5

Paris Metro Line 1

SkyTrain in Vancouver

Lima Metro Line 2

Dubai Metro

Ankara Metro