DMRC plans to use AI in phase-4 project for crowd management, trains maintenance

New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) The DMRC is planning to employ the use of artificial intelligence in its Phase-4 project for crowd management and maintenance of trains in order to increase efficiency, officials said.

In an interview with PTI, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Managing Director Vikas Kumar said that as far as technology is concerned, metro has always kept pace with the technological innovations and they are always following that.

"The technology has been quite disruptive like it immediately changes the complete scenario and so fast the technology is evolving, we also, like driverless metro is a product of that only, and if you take this as corollary, what future it holds that is immense because driverless is one stage where you do not require crew or crew scheduling, only at the click of the button, you can start the train and it will move," Kumar told PTI.

"What happens now, supposing somewhere sudden demand is there sudden rush has come even you have not planned for that earlier. With the driverless train, you can immediately induct a train. Otherwise to induct a train with driver you need to arrange for a driver first," he added.

"At the same time, if crowd is not there, it can be optimised. The metro can have variable composition train in phase-4 project like three coach and six coach composition. The composition of trains can be changed. When there is less demand, the six coach train would be split into three coach trains," Kumar said.

"Lesser number of trains would be able to cater for that demand. You need not run a six cart train, it will run empty otherwise. You don't have that much demand so you will optimise and save running cost as well as maintenance cost. Similarly in the peak hours, you can club the three unit trains into a six and move it," he added.

Other activities are like monitoring through CCTV cameras and facial recognition is also there. Crowd control through the camera and other technology that would also be there in future definitely and they are working on that, Kumar further stated.

The DMRC MD said technology with AI will give proper optimised results.

"So here also the running of train is the technology you can split. But if you in fact club it with AI, like AI is sitting on top of decision making processes, then it tends to give a much more excellent and efficient decision. It is a very nascent field, so a lot of development is required and AI the more affective it is, the more data you have then only you will be able to give a better AI which will predict. So as a result of AI predictive, maintenance can also be there. We are working in that also," Kumar said.

"Like instead of scheduled maintenance where original equipment manufacturers specified that after so much of time, you have to open this particular gearbox and see. Now with AI predictive maintenance, you need not open after that scheduled. It will indicate you," he added.

DMRC's Principal Executive Director Anuj Dayal said the Delhi Metro is exploring the possibility of running trains with different coach combinations depending on the traffic on that corridor in Phase-4.

"This will help in optimising the capacities according to requirements. All these trains will be compatible for driverless operations like the Magenta and Pink lines of the presently operational network. A total of 312 coaches are being procured as part of Delhi Metro's Phase-4 requirements," Dayal said.

Speaking about the revenue of the DMRC, the MD stated that they incurred losses two years during the Covid, but now they have come out of that and operational profit is there.

"Overall if you consider the repayment of loan, then definitely it is not be a profit making. But otherwise we are having an operational profit. Whatever we spent in operation and maintenance, we are able to earn through ticketing as well as non-fare box revenue more than that. To such an extent that we are able to pay the interest.

"We try to pay the loans, but let us see what will happen in future because in future, the EMIs of the loans will also increase as loan has a certain moratorium period and it has started from long time back so may be after 15 years, another EMI will get added because we have taken loans in batches for various phases," he said.

Kumar further stated that they would try to be an organisation which earns and for that they require to earn more out of non-fare box also because fare again there is a limit and there is a limit to increase the fare also since it is for public transportation.

The MD also said they are aggressively working to increase non-fare revenue.

A lot of businesses were shut during the Covid and they vacated the DMRC premises. Now people are coming back. But certain office spaces are lying vacant in the premises which they are trying to market it, he said.

Kumar also mentioned there is a scope of extension of the metro network in Delhi NCR.

It is such a big metropolitan area and further dense network is required to connect each and every person, said Kumar.

The dustbins were decreased due to security reasons. The DMRC has discussed with the CISF and they will increase the number of dustbins, he added. PTI NIT AS AS