Railways to replace Mumbai's trains with greener ones
30 Jun 2009
The Railways will replace all existing electrical multiple units (EMUs) on the suburban section in Mumbai with new ones fitted with regenerative brakes, under its green energy project.
The ministry of railways has adopted a three-phase technology that uses the Insulated Gate Bi-polar Transistor (IGBT)-based system, which is capable of regenerating 25 to 30 per cent of the energy used, a railway ministry release said.
The Railways has so far commissioned 47 (12 car) rakes with regenerative braking system and 48 more are expected to be commissioned during 2009-10. The designated national authority (DNA) under the ministry of environment and forests has accorded host country approval for this project under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
The World Bank is also working for registration of this project with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The purpose of the project is to adopt 3 phase IGBT technology in the Railways for three phase EMUs in Mumbai suburban area of Western and Central Railways.
These passenger trains have the ability to draw electricity from the overhead equipment and regenerate energy during braking.