Kolkata’s new east-west metro line to be equipped with electrification system from Siemens

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 kilometers and serve 12 stations.

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 kilometers and cover 6 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 kilometers, 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.

The line will be completely electrified by Siemens Mobility with a 750 V 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 33 kV AC medium-voltage ring. The power itself will be supplied by the local partner Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation Ltd. A Scada system will monitor and control the entire power supply system. A Sitras SMS type stray-current monitoring system will eliminate any damage due to stray current corrosion, thereby lowering the cost of maintenance.

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 the 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.

“The entire Indian railway market has enormous potential and, according to Unife (Association of the European Rail Industry), is growing exponentially at a hearty rate of eight percent. The cities in India with million-plus populations are striving for greater mobility – both in terms of people and freight. With this new order, we are strengthening our foothold on the subcontinent’s market,” said Jörg Schneppendahl, CEO of the Complete Transportation Business Unit at Siemens Mobility.

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-km-long 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.