Bengaluru and Chennai implementing advanced driverless train

Major Indian cities are adopting cutting-edge driverless train technologies to transform urban mobility. Bengaluru and Chennai recently made significant strides to upgrade their metro rail infrastructure leveraging such next-generation solutions.

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has received its first prototype 6-coach driverless metro from Chinese manufacturer CRCC Nanjing Puzhen. Chennai Metro Rail Limited also began manufacturing 108 cars for 36 driverless trains awarded to Alstom Transport India.

These developments highlight growing deployment of automated transit systems within tier-1 city rail networks to enable higher frequency services. The driverless trains would enhance passenger experience while optimizing operations for metro rail companies.

Bengaluru Receives First Driverless Metro

BMRCL accepted delivery of its first driverless metro rake from the Chinese supplier CRCC Nanjing Puzhen contracted to provide 216 coaches across 15Composition. The prototype 6-coach train would undergo testing before commencing trial runs along the upcoming 18km Yellow Line connecting RV Road to the Electronics City IT hub.

Key Details:

• Chinese engineers would monitor assembling at the Electronics City facility
• Trains procured for the Yellow Line specifically to transport IT workers
• Advanced driverless trains promise 90-second peak frequency
• 21-meter long coaches with capacity for over 1000 commuters
• Two more units to arrive by May, and two per month from June
• Extensive trial runs required before safety certification and passenger operations

The procured automated trains would transform intra-city commute for Bengaluru's IT professionals via dedicated corridors. Their high-capacity, high-frequency credentials perfectly serve tech corridors having concentrated working populations.

It validates BMRCL’s technology outlook to enhance urban mobility. Further expansion of driverless metro railroading seems imminent as Bengaluru densifies.

Chennai Initiates Work on Driverless Metro Trains

Chennai Metro Rail has also embarked on a transition towards automation, with leading manufacturer Alstom Transport India commencing production of 36 metro trains or 108 cars. Valued at ₹1216 crore, the contract involves designing and building advanced driverless metro rakes over 18 months.

Production Timelines:

-  Manufacturing of car body for first train started at Sri City premises

-  Entire batch of 36 trains to be delivered progressively up to mid-2025

-  Dynamic testing to precede passenger operations after regulatory approvals

Key Features of New Trains:

Spacious aerodynamic gangways for better airflow

Enhanced safety via emergency exit doors and fire systems

Obstacle detection systems and platform screen doors

Remote monitoring provisions for driverless operations

Regenerative brakes for optimizing power usage

Advanced passenger announcement and update systems

By investing in next-gen driverless metro infrastructure, Chennai hopes to significantly augment its urban mobility landscape. The trains would allow increased frequency with minimal human intervention to reliably serve growing ridership.

It exemplifies the state government’s commitment to building world-class transit infrastructure befitting Chennai’s stature as a leading Indian metropolis. Extensive trials would validate functional and safety parameters before passenger roll-out.

The progress on driverless metro projects in Bengaluru and Chennai underscores the rapid modernization of urban transportation infrastructure across key Indian cities. Automated, high-capacity metro rail is the future of intra-city mobility. As more advanced trains get deployed over the coming decade, mass transit convenience would drastically improve for daily commuters and businesses.