The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has took a major step towards the development of a local-built CBTC signalling technology for metro system by launching its i-ATS sub system, an important component of the signalling system.
This prototype system as well as a state-of-the-art laboratory for further developing other sub- systems of its CBTC technology was inaugurated Shastri Park station by Durga Shanker Mishra, the Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the DMRC’s Managing Director, Mangu Singh.
“This is a very important step towards the development of an indigenous CBTC system. I am sure that we will be able to work together and scale newer heights to completely indigenise Metro railway construction as well as operations,” Mangu Singh said.
“It is a really proud occasion to start something like this which is going to add to our strength on the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative [which promotes the local development and innovation]. The way we have promoted indigenization in the development of metro systems in the country, I am fully confident that this Indian system will also be sold outside and we will be the leaders in this area as well,” Mishra stated.
The Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) is a computer-based system, which manages train operations. This system is indispensible for high density operations such as the metro, where services are scheduled every few minutes. i-ATS is the indigenously developed technology, which will significantly reduce the dependence of Indian metros on foreign vendors dealing with such technologies.
As part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had decided to indigenize the CBTC signalling technology.
Delhi Metro, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), Niti Aayog and Bharat Electronics (BEL) are part of this project. DMRC has been nominated to lead the project under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
DMRC and BEL entered into a MoU for development of the in-house ATS system.
The i-ATS system will be installed while upgrading the ATS system of Line 1 (Red Line) from Rithala to Shaheed Sthal, Ghaziabad. It will also be used for the Phase 4 of Delhi metro development. Predictive maintenance module shall also be introduced under the the Phase 4 corridors using the i-ATS system.
The i-ATS technology is compliant with the train control and signalling systems of different suppliers, can operate with different levels of such systems and it is suitable for introduction on the Indian Railways’ network which is now installing centralised train control system at a large scale, which uses part of ATS functions.
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