Phase 1 launch to boost power for Metro trains.

The abrupt stopping of Metro trains due to power fluctuations will soon be a thing of the past when Phase 1 is fully operational in June. This is because the linking of the East-West stretch with the North-South will ensure that trains and stations will have additional backup power supply from four substations instead of the present two.

At present, Mysuru Road, Baiyappanahalli, Peenya and Yelachenahalli Metro stations have a substation each. But due to the lack of interconnectivity between the two stretches, the Purple Line is able to use power only from two stations (Mysuru Road and Baiyappanahalli) while the operational portion of Green Line from Mantri Square Sampige Road to Nagasandra is only able to use power from Peenya.

Bangalore Metro Rail Coporation Limted Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said, “When the entire Phase 1 is fully commissioned, the substations from Peenya (Northern Line) and Yelachenahalli (Southern Line) will provide backup thereby ensuring that all 41 stations have backup from all the available substations.
Running Metro trains for an hour involves consumption of 1,000 units of electricity, which costs power bills of Rs. 6,500 per hour. “BMRCL presently pays nearly Rs. 2.2 crore a month as electricity consumption charges,” Kharola said.

Specifying a few technical details, the MD said that 66KV substations provide the required power supply to all stations for traction. “There is a traction substation which feeds direct current to the 750 volts third rail, which runs parallel to the tracks,” he said. The auxillary substation feeds 440 volts alternating current to the station to operate lights, escalators and lifts at Metro stations.

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS