Chennai Metro gets first driverless train. But who drives it then?

CHENNAI: Commuters on Chennai Metro Rail’s phase two will travel on trains without drivers, with Alstom, the French mobility giant, delivering the first of the 36 trains that it is manufacturing for Chennai Metro Rail Limited.

The company started production of the train model, named Metropolis, in February. It will deliver 36 trains, each with three cars, which will be operated on the 26 km corridor linking Poonamallee Bypass to Light House.

According to Alstom, the trains are designed and engineered to be operated without drivers (Unattended Train Operations), as they are equipped with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and Automatic Train Protection (ATP).

How does it work

First things first: Yes, this is driverless. But that does not mean there is no human intervention or oversight. These trains are closely and constantly monitored by operators in the control centre. The company explained that the operator can always intervene and take over control in the event of a malfunction. From the control room, the operator can also use the Metro’s intercom systems to speak and issue directions or instructions to passengers on board.

That is, while the Metro train uses intelligent systems and automation, it still is overseen by a human – unlike a Tesla that aims to be truly autonomous.

The intelligent systems on the train and the ground have sensors and other components that talk to each other continuously to ensure that everything is functioning smoothly and as they are designed and programmed to function.

Explaining the way these trains function, Alstom cites examples of driverless Metros like Sydney. The control centre, which is digitally connected to the trackside interlocking system, is one of the ‘intelligent objects’ along the tracks.

When the control centre asks it to open a path for the Metro, the interlocking system checks and verifies that the route is not already marked for another train. Once that is confirmed, all the switch points along that path are set to create the route and the signal is sent to confirm that it is safe for the train to travel on that route.

“Once the trip has been initiated, the intelligent system onboard the Metro then enables it to move around the entire network, telling it when to move forward, accelerate or brake without a driver,” Alstom said.

The sensors, beacons, and intelligent objects both on board and ground allow the system to perform the basic functions like when to increase or reduce speed, the stations to stop at, aligning the doors correctly at stations and opening and closing them, etc., it said.