Germany just got its first driverless, automated train

NEW DELHI: The world's first automated, driverless train has been unveiled in Germany's Hamburg. The project, which is a joint venture between German rail company Deutsche Bahn and high-tech partner Siemens, has been termed as a “world first”, and is part of a $70 million ‘Digital Rail Germany’ modernisation plan.
Automated trains allow operators to run more trains on a single line because they are more efficient and can guarantee the necessary precision.
Four such driverless trains will be a part of the northern metropolis’s S-Bahn fast city rail community. The trains, which are being billed as 'extra punctual and vitality environment friendly' will begin carrying passengers from December 2021.
Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said automated trains offer "a more reliable" service "without having to lay a single kilometre of new track".
Deutsche Bahn plans to expand use of its new digital trams to service all of Hamburg. It claims that by 2030 many of its local, regional and national lines will use similar technology.
According to the company, fully automating the trains will allow more trains to run at shorter intervals, as well as increase energy efficiency and cut operating costs.
The project combines two operating systems — Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and the European Train Control System (ETCS) — that can be retrofitted onto existing trains and tracks. This will allow a driver, who will still remain on board, to manually operate trains when they move to stretches of track that are not outfitted with corresponding control technology.
The automated system operates the speed, breaks, acceleration and deceleration of the train but outside of the digitalised area, the trains will run as normal.
In India, Siemens is providing driverless train solutions for Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) to improve efficiency and safety of passengers.
In Delhi, driverless metro trains are now set to take over the Pink Line too. Currently, only the Magenta Line has trains operating without any manual intervention.
In December 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the country's first-ever fully-automated driverless train service on the 37 km-Magenta lines.