Siemens is to supply the complete
railway electrification system for
Kolkata's new metro line. The
company has received a corresponding
order from the Indian operator
Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation
(KMRC), including the project
management, design, installation and
commissioning work, plus personnel
training and maintenance throughout
the three-year warranty period. The
new east-west metro line in Kolkata
will have a total length of 14.67 km
with and serve 12 stations.
The line will be completely
electrified by Siemens Mobility with a
750V DC traction power supply that
is collected from a third rail system.
The power for the nine substations
and the depot will be fed into the
system via a 33kV AC mediumvoltage
ring. The power itself will be
supplied by the local partner CESC
Ltd. A SCADA system will monitor
and control the entire power supply
system. A Sitras SMS type straycurrent
monitoring system will
eliminate any damage due to stray
current corrosion, thereby lowering
the cost of maintenance.
Construction of this new metro line
will take place in two phases, with the
first line section due to be finished by
the end of 2013. This section of the
line will be elevated over a distance of
5.77 km and cover six stations. The
second line section, which will be
entirely underground, is scheduled to
open for service at the end of 2014.
Running over a distance of 8.9 km, it
will likewise have six stations. As it
will also run in a tunnel underneath
the Hooghly River, it will be the first
underwater metro line in India. The
operator is expecting about 480,000
passengers daily.
Untitled Document
Megacity |
A United Nations study states that, with
more than 15 million inhabitants, the
Kolkata metropolitan area is the eighth
largest megacity in the world. Forecasts
expect Kolkata's urban population to
increase to more than 20 million by 2025.
As the number of inhabitants rises, so will
the demand for mobility and,
consequently, for a well developed rapid
transit network, notes Siemens. |
Siemens first succeeded in entering
the mass transit market in India in
2004, when it completely equipped
Delhi Metro Line 3 with signaling
equipment and railway
communications systems. All further
extensions to Line 3, amounting to a
total of 60 route kilometers, were also
fitted out with control and signaling
systems from Siemens. Then, in
October 2008, the supply order was
placed for the signaling, electrification
and baggage logistics for the 23-kmlong
Delhi Airport Rail Link. For the
metro connection between the new
industrial and financial center
Gurgaon Cyber City and the Greater
Delhi transportation network,
Siemens Mobility is also to construct a
complete turnkey rail system by the
end of 2012.