Pune-A’bad Duronto Exp will get new power supply system

Pune: If you are planning to travel to Ahmedabad from Pune by Duronto Express, you will get a new experience as the Pune railway division is planning to start a new power supply system for the train. The system will be present in all coaches through its engine.

The new system called WAP7 Head on Generation (HOG) is the first such unit across the country in service, which will be implemented from January 2019. 

Train number 12298 Pune-Ahmedabad Duronto Express departs on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Its coaches get power through the overhead wire (OHW). 

The new system will save around Rs 1 crore per year for the Railways. It will supply power generated in the engine to all the coaches.

“We are planning to set up the system in the engine, which will supply power to the coaches, air-conditioning system, fans and lights. A generator has been installed in the last coach of the train, which runs on diesel. The system will help to reduce diesel cost, which is more than Rs 1 crore per year. Use of WAP7 HOG system will help to prevent sound and air pollution,” said a senior officer of the Pune railway division.

However, the system has already been introduced in the Pune-Mumbai Intercity Express on November 30. 
“We have installed the unit on the Pune-Mumbai Intercity Express. This is the first system across the country. On November 30, the train was flagged off in the presence of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Milind Deouskar, Additional DRM Prafful Chandra and Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr DCM) Krishnath Patil. A diesel generator has already been installed in this train, which consumes 500 litres of the fuel per day. The cost of the diesel is Rs 1.37 crore per annum,” said Manoj Jhawar, spokesperson of the Pune railway division. Recently, Railways attached the new LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) coaches to the Intercity Express.

“The diesel car will stay attached to the train. It will be used only in special circumstances or in case of change of loco. The expenditure on electricity, estimated to be around Rs 28.75 lakh per annum, will be saved due to the new system. If the cost of electricity is reduced, the expenses incurred on diesel will save Rs 1.8 crore per annum,” said Jhawar.