In a major breakthrough towards automation technology, Soon Delhi Metro trains will go driverless as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is launching new ‘driverless trains’.

The trial runs will start in July and driverless operations is expected to start from 2017. The trains have been brought from a Korea-based firm and are being assembled in India.

For the past 4 months, Delhi Metro has been testing trains at its Mukundpur depot in the northern part of the city. Earmarked to be deployed on the two new corridors coming up in phase III.


"The trains procured for phase III are driverless trains, which will initially have staff deputed for operation but gradually, they will be withdrawn to move to unattended train operation," said Anuj Dayal, spokesman for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).


The testing started in December 2015 when the first set of five trains arrived at Mukundpur depot from South Korea. Another three are expected to reach Delhi by February this year. "The trains are under commissioning, that is, testing and integration with signalling system, electrical fittings, etc are going on," added Dayal.

A live feed will be available inside the train through a 37-inch LCD display. The new trains will have four motorised cars and two trailer cars. This will help in improving train speed and offer better acceleration and de-acceleration. "It will result in saving 12 minutes of the journey time on the 56km-long route," said Dayal. The average speed of the new trains is also fractionally better at 35kmph. At present, the rolling stock's average speed is 32kmph.