New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated India’s first driverless train on the Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro. It also launched the National Common Mobility Card, an interoperable transportation facility that allows users to pay for trips, toll fees, retail purchases, and withdraw money with a single card.
The driverless trains will be fully automated, eliminating the possibility of human error, authorities say. The service will be available on the Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro which connects Janakpuri West in West Delhi with the Botanical Garden in Noida. This will be extended to the Delhi Metro Pink Line (Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar) in mid-2021.
“The inauguration of the first driverless subway train shows how quickly India is moving towards smart systems,” Prime Minister Modi said as he inaugurated the innovative project today during a virtual function. “The country’s first metro was started with the efforts of Atal (Bihari Vajpayee) Hee. When our government was formed in 2014, only five cities had subway services and today 18 cities have subway train service. By 2025, we will bring this service to more than 25 cities. “
With these new trains, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will enter the elite league of 7 percent of the world’s metro networks that can operate without drivers, according to an official statement.
Previously, the Prime Minister said, not much attention was paid to the future and half-hearted work was done even as confusion persisted. “In contrast to this, modern thinking says that urbanization should not be seen as a challenge and used as an opportunity. An opportunity where we can build a better infrastructure in the country. An opportunity through which we can increase the Facility. This difference in thinking is seen in all dimensions of urbanization, “said PM Modi.
The National Common Mobility Card, which will be fully operational on the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line, will allow anyone who has a RuPay-Debit Card issued from anywhere in the country to travel on the route. The facility will be available throughout the Delhi metro network by 2022, the PMO said, according to PTI.
Referring to today’s launches as “next generation infrastructure for Delhi”, Prime Minister Modi sought to show them as examples of his flagship “Make In India” scheme.
“Make In India is very important for the expansion of Metro services. It reduces costs, saves foreign exchange and provides more employment for Indians,” said the prime minister.
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