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While the trains will operate without drivers, staff will be on board to assist passengers and address any complaints during the journey.
These new trains will each have three coaches and will be built at BEML’s Bengaluru workshop. (Photo: The Indian Express)
Chennai Metro has announced plans to add 70 more driverless trains to its network, with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) securing the contract for the project, valued at Rs 3,600 crore.
These trains, each with three coaches, will be built at BEML’s Bengaluru workshop, as per Mathrubhumi.com.
Despite being driverless, staff will be available on board to assist passengers and handle complaints during journeys. Each train will have the capacity to carry up to 1,000 passengers.
The first batch of 36 driverless trains was initially awarded to Alstom, a company based in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. The first of these trains was delivered last month and is currently undergoing trial runs at Chennai’s Poonamallee metro yard.
The second phase of the metro project is also underway, including three major routes: from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass (26.1 km), Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri SIPCOT (45.8 km), and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (47 km). The driverless trains will operate on these three routes once completed.
