New Delhi, Dec 28: From pride and excitement to surprise and a little bit of apprehension, several young and old passengers went through a gamut of emotions as they rode the country’s first driverless train on a Delhi Metro corridor on Monday.
The first train of this service driven by next-generation technology ran from Janakpuri West station to Botanical Garden station of the 37-km Magenta Line as the DMRC leaped into an elite club of metro networks globally.
Inaugurating India’s first-ever driverless train operations on the Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line on Monday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government unlike its predecessors has taken growing urbanisation as an opportunity and asserted that metro train services will be extended to 25 cities by 2025 from the current 18.
Among the first riders was infant Aarav (3) who sounded very excited, as his father told him that “no driver was piloting the train”. “It is being driven by a remote control,” the little boy said, much to his family members and co-passengers delight.
And indeed the train is controlled centrally from the Operations Control Centre (OCC).
However, a roaming attendant will be present initially but would be gradually withdrawn to move to Unattended Train Operation (UTO) mode.
While most of the passengers knew about this new train, many commuters who took the train from various stations on the Magenta Line were actually oblivious to the fact that the train was driverless.
Riya Sharma (18) and Gurpreet Kaur (17), Delhi University students and friends who live in Palam area, were excited about their ride. “Yes, we know about this new, driverless train and the PM had flagged it off in the morning. We are feeling very proud as it is not just Delhi Metro’s but India’s first driverless train. Also, I did not feel much of a difference, from a regular metro train,” said Kaur.
Sharma said, “It is my first metro journey since the services were shut due to COVID-19-induced lockdown”.
“And I never thought, I will step right into a driverless train. Only after boarding it and seeing the decoration and mediapersons inside did we realise that we had entered a driverless train. Quite exciting. I was afraid a bit, but felt ok, after entering it,” she said.
Shaheen Bagh resident SZ Naiyer, 60, boarded the train from Dashratjpuri station, along with his wife Taiyeba Naiyer.
“I am feeling very proud and its a great achievement for our country and Delhi Metro. We had taken the metro on Magenta Line from Shaheen Bagh metro station to Dashrathpuri station on December 26 and returning today on the same route in a driverless train. So, it’s like a new era we have entered into, from where we were two days ago,” he told PTI.
His wife, said she was not feeling afraid but just worried what will happen in case of a medical or other emergency. (PTI)
