From chatbots to pantograph sensors: Delhi Metro rolls out AI systems across its network
According to DMRC, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal, visited its stall at the summit and reviewed the AI-based initiatives.
2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 20, 2026 08:27 PM IST
According to DMRC, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal, visited its stall at the summit and reviewed the AI-based initiatives. (Source: Express Archives)
Amid the Capital hosting the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is deploying artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems across its network to improve operational efficiency, complaint redressal, and safety monitoring.
According to DMRC, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal, visited its stall at the summit and reviewed the AI-based initiatives.
Among the measures introduced is CHETNA — Chatbot for Efficient Travel and Navigation Assistance — described as a conversational AI system built on a BharatGPT-powered stack. DMRC said the system provides journey planning, fare information, real-time service updates, and ticket booking options across web and mobile platforms.
DMRC has also begun upgrading its Complaint Management System using AI tools. In the first phase, written complaints are being processed using automation to reduce average handling time and improve workflow tracking. In the second phase, DMRC plans to deploy an AI-powered voice bot on its helpline number 155370 to enable automated complaint registration, with escalation to human operators in complex cases.
For infrastructure monitoring, DMRC has introduced AI-based systems for overhead equipment (OHE) health assessment. On the Red, Yellow, and Blue Lines of the Delhi Metro, a Pantograph Collision Detection System has been installed. Pantographs are the devices mounted atop metro trains that draw power from overhead wires. Sensors installed on them monitor contact with overhead wires to detect alignment issues.
On the Pink and Magenta Lines, video footage captured from trains is being analysed using AI image analytics to identify anomalies in the overhead wire network. On the Pink Line, Delhi Metro has deployed an Automatic Wheel Profile Monitoring System, which uses laser sensors to scan wheel conditions while trains are in motion.
An Automatic Axle Bearing Temperature Monitoring System has also been installed on the Pink and Magenta Lines to detect overheating, which can indicate potential mechanical issues, officials said.
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Additionally, an AI-based predictive maintenance system for track circuits — the electrical systems that detect train presence on tracks — has been introduced on the Green and Violet Lines to reduce train delays and minimise on-track maintenance interventions.
Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications.
Professional Background
Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University.
Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city.
Recent Notable Work
His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences:
An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled.
A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo.
A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods.
Reporting Approach
Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city.
Contact
X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_
Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More