Electrification gathers pace on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor

Ahmedabad/Mumbai, July 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Electrification works on the 508-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor are progressing alongside civil construction and track laying, with the project introducing India's first high-speed railway electrification system designed to support train operations at speeds of up to 320 kmph.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the corridor is being equipped with a 2×25 kV Overhead Traction System, a technology widely used for high-speed rail internationally but being deployed in India for the first time.

The system is designed to provide a stable and uninterrupted power supply for high-speed train operations.

Electricity from the National Power Grid will be routed through specially designed Grid Substations to 14 Traction Substations positioned along the route.

Five of these are located in Maharashtra — Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar and Thane Depot — while the remaining nine are in Gujarat at Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Mahemdabad, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati Depot.

These substations will supply power to different sections of the corridor, enabling seamless transitions as trains move between sections without disrupting operations.

The project also includes 31 Switching Posts to maintain uninterrupted power supply and enable rapid isolation of faults when required.

In addition, 16 Distribution Substations are being constructed to provide electricity for stations, signalling systems, maintenance facilities and other operational infrastructure.

The overhead electrification network will extend across 1,125 track kilometres, including depots, and will be supported by nearly 22,000 steel masts and more than 25,700 cantilever assemblies.

Standing between 10.5 and 14.5 metres high, the masts will support a compound catenary system, another technology being introduced in India for the first time.

Every wire in the system will be installed under carefully calculated mechanical tension to allow the train's pantograph to draw power smoothly and continuously at speeds of up to 320 kmph without interruptions or power fluctuations.

Officials also highlighted the increasing domestic manufacture of key components under the project.

Major transformers, cross arms mounted on overhead equipment masts, and the ground, protection and feeder wires forming the upper electrical network are now being produced in India.

Several components of the traction power supply system, distribution power system and electro-mechanical works are also being manufactured domestically.

This localisation is intended to strengthen India's industrial capabilities, create specialised employment, reduce reliance on imports and develop a domestic manufacturing ecosystem for future high-speed rail projects.

Safety systems form another key part of the electrification programme. Each of the 14 Traction Substations will be equipped with Early Earthquake Detection Seismometers capable of detecting seismic activity and triggering protective measures to stop trains within seconds if an earthquake occurs.

A total of 28 seismometers are planned across the project, including 22 installed along the high-speed corridor at Traction Substations and Switching Posts and six additional inland units in earthquake-prone areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Of these, 12 will be located in Maharashtra near Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Kheda, Ratnagiri, Latur and Pangri, while 16 will be installed in Gujarat near Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Mahemdabad, Ahmedabad, Adesar and Old Bhuj.

Officials said the entire electrical network will be monitored in real time from a centralised control centre, where automated protection systems will respond within fractions of a second to help ensure the safe and reliable operation of high-speed trains.

Source: IANS