Chennai Metro Rail’s first driverless train to undergo dynamic trials this month

Chennai Metro Rail's first driverless train is to undergo dynamic trials, paving the way for driverless travel by 2025.

Chennai Metro Rail’s first driverless train is slated to go through the dynamic trials for the first time this month, sources said.

One of the foremost things commuters are looking forward to witnessing in the ₹63,846 crore phase II project is the travel through driverless trains. This will become a reality when the first stretch in the phase II project — Poonamallee to Porur (a part of corridor 4 of the project)— gets operational by the end of 2025. 

The first three-coach driverless train for this project was brought to the depot facility at Poonamallee nearly two months ago and is presently being tested to check the functioning of various systems, sources said. 

“Dynamic trials are crucial before train operations. When the static tests are successful, then the dynamic trials will be commenced wherein the three-coach train will be slowly operated in the test track or Inspection Bay Line (track). Starting with 10 kmph, the speed of the train will be improved systematically and will be tested till maximum speed with time. The objective is to examine how the train runs with speed variations,” the source said.

The train manufactured in Sri City is undergoing static tests at present and from brakes to air-conditioning, all the systems are examined by a team.

“The testing has been going well so far. We are planning to start the trial run and subsequently continue it as dynamic trials soon,” another source said.

For the initial few months, the dynamic trials will continue in the depot and by next year, the train will go to trials in the viaduct between Poonamallee and Porur. The track is underway in the stretch now and once it is completed, the trials will begin.