Thursday, September 17, 2009

Big Coaches for Metro with Lots of Facilities soon

New Coaches will have several facilities including CCTVs, Cellphone & Laptop Chargers, Effective ACs

In another fortnight, Delhi Metro commuters can expect relief from the ‘‘crushed dense load’’ conditions in packed trains. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), on Tuesday, got the nod from commissioner of railway safety for new trains manufactured for Phase II. Of these, 13 full train sets of four cars each have already been delivered to DMRC depots and are in the final stages of testing. These will first be put on Line 2 (Central Secretariat to Jehangirpuri) and then Line 3 (Dwarka sector 13 to Anand Vihar/Noida).

The 13 trains, which have already come, have been stabled at Khyber Pass and Yamuna Bank depots. ‘‘Of these, two trains will be added on Line 2 by October, another 3 trains to Line 3 by November. Eight trains are needed for the Noida line. All these will be four-car train sets and Delhi Metro will introduce the first six-car train set in May 2010,’’ said H S Anand, Director (rolling stock), DMRC.

With Phase II of operations scheduled to start by next year, and the Metro ridership reaching an expected 2 million, the corporation had ordered 424 coaches of broad gauge from M/s Bombardier Transportation for 83 trains, 37 with four-cars (coaches) and 46 with six-cars which can carry 1178 and 1792 commuters respectively in ‘‘dense load’’ conditions respectively. DMRC officials maintained that they have moved from a ‘‘dense load’’ to ‘‘crushed dense load’’ situation on the system.

The commissioner of railways certificate is issued after a type test of the new train load is tested under extreme conditions for all parameters of passenger and system safety. It is only after this certification that the trains can be put to passenger service.

The new trains brought for Phase II have several improved features like CCTV cameras with eight-hour backup for added security, charging points in all coaches for cell phones and laptop, improved air-conditioning to provide a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius even in packed conditions and even heaters for winter. The present trains only have ACs.

With the network spreading, the new trains will have external display boards indicating the final destination stations and digital route maps on each door inside train with lights to indicate the present station, route covered and final stop for all trains in different colored lights. The noise levels in trains will be reduced and the lighting will also automatically get adjusted as the trains enter and exit tunnels during the day to save power.

To prevent instances of people getting stuck in train doors, like the past incident when a man was dragged along a moving train, two rear view cameras have been put on every train for platform view using which the driver can see the sides of the train. Every train also has speakers on the outside to provide audio warnings to passengers about doors closing.

Even mechanically, the trains have smoother braking, better acceleration and a higher maximum operational speed of 85 kmph, compared to the present 80 kmph. An insulation mat has been provided on the roof to prevent sparking and tripping caused by strings of kites. The trains also have a better Train Control Management System.


Travel in style with broad gauge trains

  • Total coaches | 424 (37 four-car trains and 46 six-car trains)
  • Place of manufacture | 36 cars from Germany and 388 from Savli, Gujarat
  • Commissioning | Progressively from Oct 2009 to Jan 2011
  • Total cost of procurement | Rs 2,984 crore
  • Carrying capacity | Four-car train can carry 1178 people; six-car train can carry 1792 people No of train sets that have arrived at DMRC depots | 13
Two will be added on Line 2 by October. Three will be added on Line 3 by November. Eight needed for Noida line

Additional Features

  • External side display outside each coach to indicate destination station
  • Digital route maps on each door inside train with lights
  • Better ACs with heating for winters and humidity control
  • Sockets for charging cellphones and laptops
  • CCTV cameras for security
  • Two rear view cameras for platform view
  • Speakers outside trains for audio warnings
  • Reduced noise level in saloon
  • Automatic lighting in tunnels

Better Mechanism

  • Wheel disc brakes for jerk control Higher maximum operational speed (85kmph)
  • Improved acceleration
  • Insulation mat on roof to avoid tripping caused by kites
  • Improved floor design for reduced noise vibration Better train control management system

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