Shaping the Future of Metro Systems - India witnesses first of its kind international training programme on Advanced Metro Operations and Maintenance

UITP India organised the first of its kind international training programme in India on ‘Advanced Metro Operations and Maintenance’ on 19-21 May 2025 in New Delhi. The training programme was graciously hosted by UITP member Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC).The three international trainers and several domestic trainers comprising experts in the domain ensured the training was highly interactive.With a batch size of 20 trainees including two international participants and 18 participants from different metro rail and allied organisations in India, the 3-day training programme successfully fosteredholistic knowledge exchange to enhance operational excellence in metro systems through advanced practices and technologies.

The training programme commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, followed by a warm welcome from Mr. Manuj Singhal, DI, DMRC, and an inaugural address by Dr. Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, DMRC. Ms. Rupa Nandy, Head of UITP India, highlighted UITP’s metro initiatives and upcoming events of UITP in the region and across the world.

Throughout the three days, participants engaged in insightful sessions covering key themes such as:

• Customer Experience & Digital Fare Systems – presented by Mr. Vinay Kumar Gupta, ED/IT, DMRC and Mr. Rajnish Kumar Rana, JGM, DMRC.

• Digital Twin Applications – explored by Mr. Şaban Kuş, Senior Project Engineer, Metro Istanbul, Turkey.

• Green and Energy Efficiency Initiatives – led by Mr. Sant Adhar Verma, ED/Environment, DMRC, and Mr. Michael Rathbauer, Deputy HOD/Automated Subway Operations, Wiener Linien, Austria.

• Cyber Security in Transit Systems – delivered by Dr. Rakshit Tandon through real-world cases.

• Project Management Innovations – with a focus on STAMP, 3D BIM, and systems engineering by Mr. RS Rao, Chief Engineer/Civil, CPWD and Mr. Saurabh Sharma, DGM/Civil, DMRC.

• Digitalisation for Operational Excellence – including AI/ML, data analytics, and real-time monitoring by Mr. Raman Goyal, GM/Operations and Mr. Rajnish Kumar Rana presenting the pioneering case of DMRC, while international leaders experts Mr. Michael Rathbauer and Mr. Marc Calzada, Technical Manager of Digitalisation and Innovation, TMB, Spain presented the cases of the initiatives taken by their respective organisations.

• Predictive Maintenance and Condition Monitoring – covering signalling, telecom, and rolling stock maintenance practices from best practices in India as presented by Mr. Navin Talwar, Executive Director/Signalling and Telecom, DMRC and Mr. Sameer Singh, Managing Director, Rail Vision System, while Mr. Marc Calzada shared the global perspective.

The training programme included two Technical Visits. On Day 2, the participants had the opportunity to step out of the classroom and into the field, gaining first-hand exposure to practical applications and real-world operations and maintenance of metro rail system.
The technical visit provided valuable learning experiences, enabling attendees to get a glimpse of UTO OCC at Metro Bhavan, followed by travelling in DMRC’s automatically operated driverless  metro rail through magenta line and glancing through the amenities available at the stations and in the vehicle. The participants were taken to DMRC’s depot at Kalindi Kunj to give them an overview of daily operations and maintenance as practiced by DMRC. 

On Day 3, Mr. Ghansham Bansal, Dean, DMRC Academy and Mr. Mahender Singh, Principal, DMRC Academy gave an overview of DMRC Academy. There was a Technical Visit of the DMRC Academy organised for the trainees where they were taken to the Civil Demo, S&T Demo, GMSM rooms, and shown the digital library along with the Bogie, Brake and Pneumatics, RS-2 Driving Simulator and other amenities of the Academy. The hands-on experience through Technical Visits truly added depth to the training journey.

The training programme concluded with the Valedictory Session. Mr Ghansham Bansal gave the Concluding Remarks where he stressed on enhancing the efficiency of public transport system so that dependency on private vehicles gets reduced. The training wrapped up with the participants being felicitated, followed by the Vote of Thanks given by Mr Mahender Singh.

The highly engaging three-day training programme concluded with receiving positive feedback from the participants along with suggested topics recommended for upcoming trainings. This comprehensive training programme served as a valuable platform for capacity building, encouraging innovation and knowledge transfer across global metro systems. As cities continue to expand their urban transit networks, the insights and strategies discussed during this event are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping smarter, safer, and more efficient metro operations worldwide.