Chennai Metro train on Phase I Network gets new dynamic route map

The dynamic route map that has been installed in one of the trains in the Phase I Network.
| Photo Credit: Sunitha Sekar

Passengers boarding train no.103 on the 54-km Phase I Network of Chennai Metro Rail can get a glimpse of the new dynamic route map, which displays details such as the nearest landmark, time, and speed of the train. The map will feature an LED-backlit liquid crystal (LCD) screen, displaying a variety of details.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the train’s final stop is displayed at top of the screen, with the next station at the bottom-left. To make it easy for commuters to track the route, the names of the previous and approaching stations are also displayed with an arrow in between to indicate the direction. At the top-right, the time, temperature, and speed of the train are shown.

In addition, the picture of a landmark close to the approaching station is seen in the right side of the panel. Announcements, such as those about staying away from the closing doors, also appear as scrolling messages on the screen. Whenever the train makes a stop, the names of the current station and the last two and next two stations are displayed.

So far, the train only had 16 static route maps displaying the station names. Now, four of the old maps have been replaced with the new display system, officials said.

“The train has been running on corridor 2 (Chennai Airport to Chennai Central) of the Phase I Network for nearly a week now, and we have been continuously checking if the displays are working properly. So far, there have been no problems. If this situation continues, we will install the system in a second train before eventually implementing it in the others,” an official said.

By August, CMRL plans to install the dynamic route map in all 52 trains of the Phase I Network. Vijayalakshmi, a Chennai Metro Rail commuter, said the new map would be particularly useful for a first-time commuter. “When such people board the train, this new map will help them keep track of the route and ensure they deboard at the right station,” she added.