+
India’s first driverless metro train is here
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

India’s first driverless metro train is here

India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line (Janakpuri West to Noida Botanical Garden) and the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services on the Airport Express Line were inaugurated on December 28 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference. With this introduction, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Monday entered the elite league of 7% of the world’s metro rail networks that operate without drivers.

The Magenta Line, or Line 8, is 38 km long. In the driverless mode, trains can be controlled entirely from the three command centres of the DMRC, without any human intervention. The driverless train operation (DTO) or unattended train operation (UTO) modes can be implemented only on Line 7 and Line 8 of the DMRC network which came up under the Phase III expansion. These corridors are equipped with an advanced signalling technology which makes the transition possible. For now, DMRC is rolling out the UTO mode on Line 8 only.

The driverless train took commuters by surprise, a media report said. The National Common Mobility Card was expanded to the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro, which was started in Ahmedabad last year. The driverless train uses a braking system in which 50% of the energy goes back into the grid when the brakes are applied. Today 130 MW of solar power is being used in metro rail, which will be increased to 600 MW.

The driverless trains will soon be extended to Delhi Metro’s Pink Line, which will take the driverless network on the Delhi Metro to around 94 km, nearly 9% of Delhi Metro’s total network.

Watch a short video by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on the driverless train:

India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line (Janakpuri West to Noida Botanical Garden) and the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services on the Airport Express Line were inaugurated on December 28 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference. With this introduction, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Monday entered the elite league of 7% of the world’s metro rail networks that operate without drivers. The Magenta Line, or Line 8, is 38 km long. In the driverless mode, trains can be controlled entirely from the three command centres of the DMRC, without any human intervention. The driverless train operation (DTO) or unattended train operation (UTO) modes can be implemented only on Line 7 and Line 8 of the DMRC network which came up under the Phase III expansion. These corridors are equipped with an advanced signalling technology which makes the transition possible. For now, DMRC is rolling out the UTO mode on Line 8 only. The driverless train took commuters by surprise, a media report said. The National Common Mobility Card was expanded to the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro, which was started in Ahmedabad last year. The driverless train uses a braking system in which 50% of the energy goes back into the grid when the brakes are applied. Today 130 MW of solar power is being used in metro rail, which will be increased to 600 MW. The driverless trains will soon be extended to Delhi Metro’s Pink Line, which will take the driverless network on the Delhi Metro to around 94 km, nearly 9% of Delhi Metro’s total network. Watch a short video by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on the driverless train:

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

KONE Opens India's First Digital Experience Centre in Pune

KONE, a global elevator and escalator manufacturer, has inaugurated its first Digital Experience Centre (DEC) in India, located in Pune. The facility aims to showcase how artificial intelligence (AI), connectivity and data-driven technologies can enhance customer experiences and improve building operations.The centre was inaugurated by Jussi Herlin, Executive Vice Chair, KONE Corporation; Philippe Delorme, President and CEO, KONE; and Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Infosys.Designed as an interactive customer environment, the facility demonstrates digital solutions cover..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

CII GreenCo Launches Circularity Guidelines for Indian Industry

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) GreenCo Council has launched the CII GreenCo Circularity Guidelines – Pilot Version at the 17th CII GreenCo Waste & Resource Management Summit 2026 in Chennai. The initiative aims to strengthen resource efficiency, waste reduction and circular economy practices across Indian manufacturing and process industries.The guidelines introduce a structured framework with circularity indices covering raw materials, consumables, packaging and other resource inputs. These indicators will help industries assess existing practices, identify opportunities to ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Global Electronics Association Launches IPC-1783-CO2E Standard

The Global Electronics Association has introduced IPC-1783-CO2E, a new international standard aimed at improving consistency, transparency and comparability in product carbon footprint reporting across the electronics manufacturing industry.The standard, titled International Standard for Data Collection and Reporting of CO2 Equivalent (CO2e) Emissions for the Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain, provides industry-specific guidance for collecting, estimating and reporting carbon emissions data.With increasing regulatory requirements and customer expectations, electronics manufacturers face c..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code