If all goes well, trains on the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz route of Mumbai Metro will have trains without drivers. MMRC is likely to procure driverless trains that will run along the 33.5km underground metro corridor



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If all goes well, trains on the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz route of Mumbai Metro will have trains without drivers. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation is likely to procure driverless trains that will run along the 33.5km underground metro corridor.

According to a report in The Times of India, the agency wants to open the Metro system for passengers in phases from 2020. MMRC's director (systems), AA Bhatt, informed the paper that the driverless trains will have the latest technology. "It will have driverless features besides communication-based train control system," he said.

The report went on to add that for the first year the train will run with the help of a pilot, but even these will be later done away with.

How the driverless system works

The communication-based train control system works on digital technology. The report informed that the train receives a signal in the cab about the speed and location of the train as well as braking distance. The trains thus move closer behind each other, also taking into account the safety buffer. The automated system can enable trains to run with better frequency.

The report further added that the driverless technology is used in 27 countries as of now. The Delhi Metro too has also approvals to run driverless trains.

Meanwhile, officials from MMRC are now arguing that constructing the Metro III carshed will help the environment, not harm it. Days after green activists met senior MMRC officials to express their objections to the car depot plan, the Metro agency's managing director, Ashwini Bhide, held a press conference to announce that a new design had been prepared for the car depot, which will ensure that fewer trees are axed in the Aarey greens.

The MMRC's earlier plan had estimated that 2,2,98 trees would have to be felled to make way for the car depot. Bhide did not specify how many trees would have to be hacked under the new plan.

“Those who are opposing the project should understand that once completed, the Metro will reduce a lot of pollution that takes place because of vehicular traffic. It has always been our priority to save as many trees as we can, so a revised plan has been prepared and we will soon send it to the tree authority,” said Bhide.