Pink line to go driverless, Delhi metro to rank among world’s largest automated networks

The Pink Line from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar will go driverless, making Delhi Metro one of the largest driverless metro networks in the world, according to a DMRC official.

Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, which runs between Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden, has successfully achieved full compliance with Unattended Train Operations (UTO), marking a major milestone in the city’s journey towards automation, the official said.

“The whole fleet of trains on the Magenta Line runs on UTO now,” he said.

The Unattended Train Operations were initiated by the Delhi Metro in the year 2020. The transition to UTO (driverless) has been carried out in phased stages, all approved by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS).

According to the official, Stage 1, initiated in May 2024, involved the removal of cab partition doors and the gradual covering of the driving console, while the train operator remained present in the cab.

“By August 2024, in Stage 2, the train operator was allowed to be present anywhere inside the train,” he said.

Stage 3A, also in August 2024, reduced the presence of train operators to every alternate train, leading to final Stage 3B in May 2025, where the operators were completely withdrawn, marking the beginning of full-fledged driverless operations on the line.

Delhi Metro has now also started implementing UTO on the Pink Line – Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar (Line-7).

He said the automation process began in March 2025, and by June 2025, the Pink Line had attained Stage 2. It is expected to become fully driverless within the next 3 to 4 months.

Also Read: Delhi: How rains cripple Sadar Bazaar year after year

“With UTO implementation on both the Magenta and Pink lines, Delhi Metro will be amongst one of the largest driverless metro networks in the world, with 97 km of fully automated corridors out of its total 395 km network in Delhi-NCR,” he said.

This transformation represents a significant leap in urban mobility as the advanced system ensures high-frequency, punctual, and safe services while minimising manual intervention, he said.

The automation not only enhances operational efficiency but also promises a seamless and reliable travel experience for commuters, the official added.