A step towards atmanirbhar trains is also into existence now. India is all set to run its first-ever automatic and driverless metro train on December 28th and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is also going to launch the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) on the same date for traveling to the Airport Express Line. And of course, people are eager to know all about the National Common Mobility Card.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday flagged off to the country’s first-ever fully-automated driverless train operations that started from Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro. The event was held via video conferencing.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also attended the inauguration program and the launch of a fully operational National Common Mobility Card on the Airport Express Line. He also tweeted and conveyed to people about all new driverless trains.
Speaking at the event, PM Modi said that it was under the regime of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee that the first metro rail project was rolled out in Delhi. “In 2014, only 5 cities had a metro rail. Today, metro rail has reached 18 cities. By the year 2025, we are going to expand it to more than 25 cities,” he said.
“In 2014, only 248 km of metro lines were operational in the country. Today, it is about three times at around seven hundred kilometers. By the year 2025, we are trying to expand it to 1700 km,” he added.
The driverless train technology was inaugurated on the Magenta Line, connecting Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden, but will be extended to the Pink Line.
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 like LED lighting and air conditioning systems. They are designed for a maximum speed of 95 kmph. Moreover, the operational speed would be around 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 India stepped ahead towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. And it will enter the elite league of 7% of the world’s Metro networks, which can operate without drivers.
“This shows how fast India is progressing towards a smart system. A few years ago, there was not much focus on smart systems. There was a lackadaisical approach, so we saw a huge difference between urbanization and technological development. Our government changed that,” PM Modi said on the occasion.
-By Palak Thakur