Chennai: Chennai is soon going to get its first driverless trainset in August. Beside, operators's view, passenger of driverless trains will also get several other facilities. Passengers can lean against perch seat while also charging their mobile phones. Now passengers will also get LCD screens for route map display and entertainment in the driverless trains. 

In the subsequent months, more trainsets are set to arrive, They will be operated on corridor-4 of phase-2 from Lighthouse to Poonamalle Rectangular Snip Bypass that is expected to open in 2025.

Three-car trainsets have been organized for the 26 km corridor connected by 28 metro stations. A senior Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) official said that the one trainset will arrive in August. In the subsequent two months, the Chennai Metro will get six trainsets.

The official added that but before the first train arrives, we must complete laying of ballast less tracks on the elevated line in the corridor by July. The first look of the driverless train was released by the CMRL in Feb along with the special features which includes perch seats for standing passengers, CCTV cameras inside and outside cars, charging sockets for mobile phones and laptops. grab handles in different colours at lower height for women, dedicated space and long wait press button for passengers in wheelchairs, LCD screens for both display of real-time route maps and for entertainment.

A 1,000 passengers can be accommodates in each of three cars. The train will have a design speed of 90 km/hr and operational speed of 80 km/hr, detectors to detect obstacles and train derailments and regenerative braking system to save electricity. A total of 138 three-car trainsets will be required by CMRL for 116.1 km phase-2 that will open in stages from 2025 to 2028.