Mumbai's local commuting system is all set for an upgrade, with new driverless metro trains. An indigenously-manufactured driverless train will arrive in Mumbai on January 27. Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde made the annoucement on Wednesday, IANS reported.
The driverless train has been manufactured by Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. Bengaluru. The first of these automatic trains will reach Mumbai's Charkop Metro Carshed on January 27, 2021. Following operational tests, the train will be deployed on the two new Metro routes scheduled to start from May this year.
"This will be a driverless Metro train, running automatically. But, in order not to panic or make passengers feel unsafe, for around six months initially, they will be operated by a motorman. The trains will have a max speed limit of 80kmph," Shinde was quoted as saying.
The new driverless trains will be run on Metro 2A Dahisar to DN Nagar and Metro 7 Dahisar to Andheri East, a full seven years after the country's commercial capital got its first 11-km long Metro on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar sector.
Shinde also reviewed the latest world-class technology and measures taken for passenger safety and security as well as the amenities offered in each train.
Mumbai Metro train features
The trains be equipped with state-of-the-art technology like VVVF, Train Control and Management System for speed control and safety.
Optical fibre in each coach for Internet.
Coaches are designed to conserve energy and switch to alternative non-conventional energy in case of a power outage.
Each coach will have a seating capacity for 52 passengers and in each train around 2,280 passengers can be transported.
All trains are air-conditioned with automatic doors, passenger announcement and information system.
Anti-skid floor to prevent slipping, fire-fighting, CCTVs in train and on platforms, an emergency help button.
While 6 rakes will be delivered in the next six months, the rest shall follow over the coming three years.
In September 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the first coach of the Mumbai Metro under the 'Make In India' initiative.
