Inside a quiet room in northeast Delhi’s Shastri Park, away from the bustling metro station, a train is speeding towards a station during heavy rain and hailstorm. Suddenly, a commuter falls on the tracks, with the train just a few steps away. The operator immediately applies the brakes to stop the train on time.This is not a real accident, but one of the 250 malfunction scenarios designed to train operators on motion simulators at the DMRC Academy.For lakhs of Delhi Metro commuters, the journey begins when they enter a metro station and ends when they reach their destination. But for those tasked with running the network, the journey starts at the DMRC Academy.Spread across 37 simulators and 12 model rooms, including VR and AR labs and models of tunnels, metro doors, escalators and a bogie, the academy trains the workforce behind Delhi Metro and other metro systems across the country.
Key highlights
- Established in July 2002
- Trained nearly 1.1 lakh trainees
- Over 1 lakh DMRC personnel trained
- More than 7,900 trainees from other organisations
- Around 200 international trainees
- Capacity to train 1,020 trainees at a time
- Offers over 400 courses across technical domains
Training infrastructure
The academy’s biggest attraction is its 37 simulators, including:
- Driving simulators
- Train door maintenance simulators
- Brake system simulators
- Signalling room simulators
Trainees learn to handle:
- Failed trains
- Track obstructions
- Degraded-mode operations
- Adverse weather conditions
- Automated and manual driving
A motion simulator recreates train movement and braking jerks, while VR and AR labs help trainees practise procedures involving high-voltage systems without depending on physical equipment.
Centre of Excellence
Located inside the Shastri Park Metro Depot, the academy houses the Centre of Excellence of Tunnel and Underground Space Engineering.Facilities include:
- Tunnel models with station platforms
- Walkways, cables, fire lines and sprinklers
- A 6.6-metre-diameter tunnel boring machine cutter head
- Escalator and elevator models
Beyond Metro
The academy also trains personnel from:
- NHAI – tunnels and underground spaces
- Indian Railways – escalator and lift management
- Canara Bank – civil engineering
- Brahmaputra Board – quality management
- SAIL – project planning, execution and control
According to DMRC officials, the academy plays a crucial role in developing skilled manpower, supporting emerging metro systems and facilitating knowledge exchange in urban rail transportation.
