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Trains to run without drivers, Metro goes fully automatic
In a couple of years, the Metro trains you might travel in would run without drivers.
In a couple of years, the Metro trains you might travel in would run without drivers.
The 104-km-long four new corridors to be built under Phase 3 of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will also run at the highest frequency of 90 seconds and that too without any human intervention.
Taking a step ahead to provide better safety to Metro commuters, the DMRC has decided to introduce Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system for phase 3, where the trains will run automatically.
On the existing Metro corridors, the trains run on Automatic Train Protection (ATC) mode, except on the 24-km underground section of line 2 (Gurgaon-Jahangirpuri).
Satish Kumar, director (Electrical), DMRC said, “All corridors under phase 3 will be developed with modern ATO system, which would provide more safety to Metro commuters.”
The ATO system would automatically adjust to the operating parameters. In short, the system would automatically read the signals imparted to it, without the need of any human intervention in the train.
The system is designed in such a way that it would take care of powering, monitoring and bringing the train to a halt automatically.
“Under phase 3, the trains will run at a 45-km per hour speed, which is about 10 km more than the existing speed. They will also run at a frequency of 1.5 minutes on some corridors. Human intervention in such situation might cause collision. This is why, ATO mode in train operation will be adopted as automatic operation system is much more reliable and efficient,” said a DMRC official.
“It has been planned to put the ATO system in place to avoid any kind of collision on the tracks when trains run at a higher speed and frequency,” said a DMRC spokesperson.
Under the existing ATP system, the drivers operate the trains with the help of instructions, signals, status of speed received from driver machine interface (DMI) fitted in the trains.
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