Local trains to become energy-efficient soon

CHENNAI: Local trains plying on the Chennai suburban sector will soon become power-efficient, saving upto 35 per cent of the required energy as Southern Railway has decided to induct indigenously manufactured three-phase electric multiple units (EMUs) powered by the modern Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) system.

A senior divisional railway official told Express that less energy is consumed by these EMUs due to regenerative braking facility. “The kinetic energy generated during braking is converted into electrical energy which is then directed back to the energy grid of the train,” the official explained. He added the train could generate about 30 to 35 per cent of energy requirement on its own.

Another significant benefit is the advanced speed control system. At present, local trains within the city are operated at a maximum speed of around 90 kmph. “The new train set will enable the motorman to have better control. Acceleration and deceleration will also be more efficient,” the official stated.
Other benefits include considerably less noise emanating from the train set, while there will also be less loss of energy through heat transmission.

The new EMUs for Chennai will be manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), a premier railway manufacturing unit. The factory already manufactures EMUs with IGBT technology for the Mumbai suburban network.

The cost of a 12-car rake with the IGBT technology will be approximately `35 crore, higher than the cost of conventional EMU trains that roughly cost `21 crore. But, according to the official, the increased cost will be compensated by the benefits.

It is expected that the first 12-car EMU rake with IGBT technology will arrive in November this year, while another five EMUs will be inducted in the subsequent months.