Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line goes fully driverless, Pink Line next in 3-4 months

The process for the Magenta Line began in May 2024. (Photo: X/@sdhruv86)

Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, which connects Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden, has now achieved complete unattended train operations (UTO), marking a major step in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) shift towards fully automated travel.

The development means that every train on the Magenta Line now runs without a driver, with train operators completely removed from service.

The DMRC has also started introducing UTO on the Pink Line, running from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar. "The unattended train operations were initiated by Delhi Metro in 2020.

The transition to UTO was carried out in phased stages, all approved by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety," TOI quoted a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation official as saying.

The process for the Magenta Line began in May 2024 with Stage I, which involved removing cab partition doors and gradually phasing out the driving console, though an operator remained inside the cab.

By August 2024, in Stage II, the operator was allowed to move anywhere inside the train rather than remain in the cab.

In the same month, Stage IIIA reduced the presence of operators to every alternate train.

Finally, in May 2025, Stage IIIB was implemented, with operators removed entirely, officially making the Magenta Line fully driverless.

For the Pink Line, automation began in March 2025. It reached Stage II by June 2025 and is expected to become fully driverless within the next three to four months.

Once both lines are fully automated, Delhi Metro will have 97 km of driverless corridors out of its total 395 km network in the Delhi-NCR region, making it one of the largest driverless metro systems in the world.

Officials say that the advanced technology will deliver high-frequency, punctual, and safe services while reducing manual intervention.

This will improve operational efficiency and provide commuters with a smoother, more reliable travel experience.

Driverless operations are also planned for all three priority corridors under Phase IV, RK Ashram Marg–Janakpuri West (Magenta Line extension), Aerocity–Tughlaqabad (new Golden Line), and Majlis Park–Maujpur (Pink Line extension). Additionally, three more Phase IV corridors were approved last year, though construction is yet to begin.

These are Lajpat Nagar–Saket G Block (Golden Line extension), Inderlok–Indraprastha (Green Line extension), and Rithala–Narela–Kundli (Red Line extension).