A driverless train going out of control and ending up where it absolutely should not be is the stuff of futuristic, 'robots-will-take-over' nightmares. And, that nightmare seemingly came alive yesterday in the National Capital Region (NCR) when a train of the new Magenta Line of the Delhi went off the rails and crashed into a boundary wall at the Kalindi Kunj carshed.
The kicker? The Magenta Line, which will connect Noida in Uttar Pradesh to south Delhi, will run driverless trains. Coming less than a week before the new route's inauguration on December 25 (by Prime Minister Narendra Modi), the accident was bound to create panic and scare even the most daring of commuters.
However, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was at pains to explain that the accident was NOT in any way a result of the trains being driverless. "Train movement inside the workshop area is done manually and is not operated through the [automated] signalling system. Therefore, such an incident taking place during passenger operations is NOT POSSIBLE," a Delhi Metro spokesperson said (emphasis original).
The managing director of the DMRC, Dr Mangu Singh reiterated the point and said the "main line operations on this [Magenta] line are absolutely safe, with a high level of automation and has (sic) been thoroughly checked and cleared by the commissioner of metro rail safety for passenger operations."
So what caused the accident in the first place? Well, human error, says Delhi Metro based on preliminary findings.
The accident at the Kalindi Kunj Metro depot took place essentially because some staff forgot to check whether the train's braking system was active or not after it had undergone tests and checks inside the Kalindi Kunj workshop.
According to an incident report prepared by the Delhi Metro, the train's bakes were "decommissioned", as is routine, when it was brought into a shed for tests and checks. The braking system is decommissioned "as per normal procedure prescribed " so that all of the train's "systems including the brakes can be freely checked," the incident report reads.
"As per procedure, once the train is again re-commissioned, the brakes should have been tested by the maintenance staff in the depot before the train left the shed," the report continues before adding that "prima facie, it appears, this was not done".
Staff who then took charge of the train also failed to check whether the braking system was active and took the rakes to the washing area. There the train went up a ramp and was supposed to stop, but since the brakes were inactive, the "train rolled back causing this incident."
The accident was due to human error, the Delhi Metro said based on preliminary findings The accident was due to human error, the Delhi Metro said based on preliminary findings
A high-level inquiry into the incident is ongoing and the DMRC has said "Prima facie it appears, to be a case of human error and negligence and appropriate action will be taken after the enquiry."
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, which has a running a feud with the Delhi Metro over ticket prices, has sought a report from the transport authority. "I have sought a report from DMRC on the derailment of its driverless train during trial run on Kalkaji-Botanical Garden. Shocking lapse ! There can be no compromise on passenger safety," Delhi transport minister Kailash Gehlot tweeted soon after the accident was reported.
The Magenta line will initially link the Botanical Garden station in Noida to Kalkaji Mandir in south Delhi. The line will later be expanded up to Janakpuri West. Botanical Garden will serve as an inter-change station, allowing commuters to switch between the Yellow and Magenta lines.