Chennai: Bird droppings can stop metro trains; CMRL uses spikes, nets to keep pigeons away

CHENNAI:As bird droppings or bird hits can stop a metro train, Chennai metro rail is trying out nets and spikes to prevent birds from nesting on overhead power lines.
While bird droppings can corrode train components and affect power supply to the traction system, bird hits can cause power lines to snap too.
Engineers have now used nets with spikes to cover insulators of the traction system that supply power to the overhead equipment (OHE) for train operations in the elevated corridors. Soon, large sizes of similar net will be installed in the depot at Koyambedu to keep pigeons away as their droppings damage the exterior of the trains.
"We spent a lot of money to buy different instruments to control the bird menace, but nothing worked. Birds build nests or perch on the equipment that supply power for train operations. If they strike, it could disrupt power supply to the trains bringing train services to a halt. We found placing these nets in places on certain areas of the OHE on elevated corridors could stop the native birds from nearing it," a metro rail official said.
In 2017, train services were disrupted due to a bird striking an overhead electrical traction device near Arumbakkam metro station causing a power outage. Engineers tried different methods like ultrasonic bird repellers, which emit high frequency sound waves, and strobe lights to keep the birds away. They also tried to use the glue on the overhead equipment to stop the birds from perching. But they all failed.
At the Koyambedu depot, workers are finding it difficult to remove stains of pigeon droppings on the trains that are parked in the stabling lines. The stains do not go away even after the trains undergo rigorous cleaning in the washing plant. Workers spend time and a special detergent liquid to remove them. CMRL has floated tenders to install nets with spikes to keep birds away.
"Pigeon droppings are corrosive and can affect the exterior of the trains. There were incidents of bird hits after we installed nets with spikes on certain areas of the OHE. So we decided we would install a similar net in the depot," an official said.