KMRL commissions substation to fight floods
Kochi Metro Rail Limited has constructed a combined auxiliary and traction substation at Muttom Depot.
Image source: Metro Rail News
India, Kerala, Kochi: Kochi Metro Rail Limited has constructed a combined auxiliary and traction substation at Muttom Depot.
The new substation will ensure continuous uninterrupted 415 V AC auxiliary and 750 V DC traction power supply system at its Operation Command Centre at Muttom where the regular maintenance of Metro coaches, troubleshooting of any faults, and operational controls are taking place.
At the inauguration of the substation on 11 September, Kochi Metro Rail Limited MD Alkesh Kumar Sharma, IAS, said, “Upon commissioning of the combined substation, KMRL will be equipped with uninterrupted train operations. The 2018 floods had disrupted the regular metro operations and this facility has been set up to obviate any such eventuality. The substation will prevent any financial loss to KMRL due to the damage to assets and spares that can be caused due to floods.”
The combined substation along with a two-story building was constructed at a total cost of $1.36 M (Rs 20 crores). The auxiliary and traction substation is located on the first floor of the building which will safeguard the substation from any water logging. The ground floor and the second floor of the building are dedicated for storage of spare parts and sensitive equipment.
The substation has a capacity of 3,000 kVA for auxiliary power supply and 2,600 kVA for traction power with 100 % redundancy. In the substation, the 33 kV power supply will be converted into 415 V AC for meeting the auxiliary loads such as lifts, lighting, AC, ventilation, etc., and 33 kV will be converted into 750 V DC to feed to the third rail for powering the trains to facilitate the train movement inside the yard for stabling, regular maintenance, and troubleshooting of the trains.
The substation has been designed and constructed taking into account the future load requirements of Kochi Metro yard at Muttom Depot due to the ongoing Kochi Metro extension project to Thripunithura and proposed phase II project to Kakkanad.
Source: Metro Rail News