PM Modi To Flag Off India's First Driverless Metro Train, Launch 'One Nation One Card' On Dec 28; Check Details

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be flagging off India's first-ever fully-automated driverless train service on December 28. He will also launch the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). Know all about it here.

PM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi/Twitter)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the country's first-ever fully-automated driverless train service, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) revealed today. The service will begin operation on the Magenta Line of Delhi Metro on December 28.  "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be flagging off the country's first-ever fully-automated driverless train service on the 37 km-Magenta Line (Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden) and will also be launching the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) for travel on the 23-km Airport Express Line (New Delhi to Dwarka Sector 21) on December 28, 2020," the DMRC said in a statement. The 37-km Magenta Line connects Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden metro stations. Popularly called the "One Nation One Card", the NCMC is an inter-operable transport card that will enable holders to pay multiple kinds of transport charges which will include metro and bus services across the country. As informed, it will be usable for toll charges, parking and even for retail shopping and withdrawing money.

Delhi Metro's Driverless Trains - What We Know So Far

Delhi Metro's driverless trains will operate on the Magenta Line and the Pink Line made as part of the Phase-III of the DMRC. The trials for them first began in September 2017 along a 20-km-long stretch on the Pink Line, which was yet to be commissioned back then. The trials tested the automation of the new metro trains, equipped with Unattended Train Operations (UTO) and CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) signalling systems, which significantly increase their frequency. The driver-less trains are equipped with several advanced features besides having six coaches. These modern trains underwent significant technological as well as eco-friendly upgrades while additional features are said to have been added for improving the passengers' experience and comfort. "These trains would be more energy-efficient than the earlier trains of the Delhi Metro because of improved design features such as better regeneration of energy during braking, energy-efficient subsystems like LED lighting and air conditioning systems," the DMRC had said. They are designed for a maximum speed of 95 kmph and operational speed of 85 kmph, the Delhi Metro had earlier said. They are planned to run on the over 58 km-long Majlish Park-Shiv Vihar (Line 7) and the over 38 km-long Janakpuri (West)-Botanical Garden (Line 8) corridors of the Phase-III of the DMRC. Although, initially drivers will be assigned for operating the trains the plan is to gradually withdraw to Unattended Train Operation (UTO). "These new-generation trains are suitable to eventually run on UTO mode, that is, train operators will not be required to operate these trains and the Operations Control Centres (OCC) of the Delhi Metro system will directly regulate the movement of the trains," a DMRC official had earlier stated. Each coach is reported to have the capacity to accommodate a maximum of 380 passengers, which takes the total to 2,280 passengers in each train having six coaches. The cabin-less trains will be able to accommodate 40 commuters more in a six coach train as the driver's cab will not be required in them. (With Agency Inputs) WATCH | Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, a derivative of Gurudev's sentiment: PM Modi | Full Speech