The Hindu : Metro promises a dream ride

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 07, 2002

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Metro promises a dream ride

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI SEPT. 6. Sleek, good looking, safe and outright hi-tech, the first four-coach Metro train set which arrived in Delhi from South Korea on August 30, has brought with it state-of-the-art technology which hitherto could only be seen in advanced Metro Rail systems of say Hongkong or Singapore.

At a Press preview of the modern rolling stock yesterday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation informed the media about its salient features. Light weight and made of steel, the coaches are comfortable, safe, reliable and energy efficient and have a pleasing interior and exterior.

Of the 240 coaches (60 trains), for which contract was given to a consortium of M/s Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan; M/s. Rotem company, Korea; and M/s. Mitsubishi Electrical Corporation, Japan, in May 2001, 60 are under manufacture in Korea while the remaining will be manufactured in India with progressive indigenisation.

The coaches would afford comfort to passengers of Delhi -- who were hitherto exposed to old vehicles -- as they are air-conditioned, have wide and profiled stainless steel seats, grab handles for standees and steel bars to hold on to.

With a low noise level of about 70 decibels, these fully vestibuled coaches provide for easy movement of passengers from crowded to less crowded coach. Having wide windows for better visibility and feeling of openness and a well and uniformly lit interior at about 300 lux, the coaches also have less vibration for better riding comfort, skid-free and resistance floor and same floor height at all loads to enable entry and exit through air suspension system.

Many of the safety features on these coaches are also first in India. The coaches have an automatic electric door closing mechanism and door closed operation, with doors opening fully within 2.5 seconds and closing in less than 3.5 seconds.

With an automatic feature to detect and release obstructions of over 15 mm width from within the gap between the doors, the train would only move when all the doors and cab side doors are closed and locked. And if accidentally, any door opens while the train is on the run, the brakes will automatically get applied and the train will come to a halt.

To reduce the fire risk, the coaches have been endowed with special design features and materials like stainless less. Moreover, in case of a power supply failure, there is provision for emergency illumination and ventilation in the train.

There if also a facility for passengers to talk to the driver in an emergency and emergency announcement facility from the driver and the operation control centre. The system will also provide for communication between the Operation Control Centre and driver.

The Metro trains also have many more special features. They have a passenger information system display and announcement system and provide advance intimation of approaching station. Then, for the physically challenged wheel chairs are provided with dedicated space and boarding facility near the driver.

The trains would have fast acceleration and deceleration. They would reach 40 kmph in 15 seconds and 80kmph in 65 seconds with least jerk.

The Metro trains have also been designed in a manner which makes them energy efficient and low maintenance. They have a stainless steel shell to reduce dead weight and maintenance and use latest electronic devices with high efficiency.

Incidentally while the first train arrived in Delhi this past weekend, the second which started from Korea on September 4 is due to arrive here on October 1, with the third and fourth trains -- due to be dispatched from Korea on September 16 -- reaching here on October 15.

The Shahdara-Tis Hazari section will be commissioned for passenger traffic in December. Initially trains would be operated at 8 minutes interval which would gradually be reduced to 5 minutes and then to 3 minutes.

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