Metro inauguration to be immune to blackouts?

12 October,2011 07:30 AM IST |   |  Johnlee Abraham

BMRCL claims to be well equipped to tackle any power crisis during the October 22 launch, has received special discount rate on electricity supply


BMRCL claims to be well equipped to tackle any power crisis during the October 22 launch, has received special discount rate on electricity supplyu00a0

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The Bangalore metro seems to have a learnt a lesson from the mistake committed by its Delhi cousin during the inauguration of its mass transit services.

Keeping in mind how power failures had ruined the inauration ceremony of the Delhi Metro in 2005, the BMRCL officials are working overtime to ensure there is no black out on October 20 when the Reach I of the Metro is thrown open to the public.



Even as incidents of frequent power cuts have become a daily affair in the city, officials of Namma Metro are confident that they will be able avoid any such problem. They plan to tap power directly from the state grid.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) general manager (finance), U A Vasanth Rao, said, "The blackouts we witness are on domestic network of 11KV. But BMRCL will source power directly from the southern grid. Besides that, there will be dedicated power stations at Byappanahalli, Peenya, Mysore Road and Puttenhalli Cross (Kanakapura Road) that will ensure continuous power supply"

Well equipped
Moreover, each station will also have diesel generator sets to ensure uninterrupted power supply.u00a0 "If there is a total black out due to a grid failure or a natural calamity, the train would come to a halt and the doors would open, using battery power, enabling people to safely descend the train," said Roa. He added that there are provisions for passengers to use the pathways provided at both ends. The battery back up is not only for the functioning of the doors but it will also keep the air conditioning operational for an hour.

For running the Metro on the Reach I between Byappanahalli to MG Road, BMRCL will be supplied around 2 MW power everyday at a special discounted rate of Rs 4.44 per unit. However, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has chalked a special rate for Bangalore Metro, which is basically a no-profit and
no-loss rate.

BESCOM (Technical) Director, K Ramakrishna, said, "BMRCL had earlier written an application to us for fixing a special power tariff for metro rail. Based on the advice of the Centre, the state power panel then approved the no-profit no-loss rate."

Rs 4.4
The special discounted rate BMRCL will be charged for 2 MW of poweru00a0every day
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Metro inauguration to be immune to black