Ahmedabad, Oct 30 — The first Traction Substation (TSS) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is nearing completion at Bilimora in Gujarat’s Navsari district, as work progresses on the 14 substations planned to supply power along the 508-km high-speed rail corridor.
The substation, spread across approximately 18,000 square metres, is at an advanced stage of construction, with equipment installation, testing and commissioning activities under way.
Installation work in the control panel, changeover switch, transformer and circuit breaker buildings has been completed. Work on all gantry towers and beams has also been finished.
A total of 14 traction substations (TSS) are being developed along the corridor to ensure an uninterrupted power supply for the bullet trains.
These substations will receive electricity from the grid, transform it to the required voltage levels and feed it into the traction power system that powers the trains.
Of the 14 substations, five will be located in Maharashtra at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar and Thane Depot, while the remaining nine will be in Gujarat at Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Mahemdavad, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati Depot.
In Gujarat, the traction substations will receive electricity from the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited's (GETCO) 220 kV Ambetha Grid Substation.
The power will subsequently be supplied to the overhead equipment (OHE) installed along the viaduct through the 2 × 25 kV traction power supply system adopted for the corridor.
The system is designed to distribute electricity to the overhead equipment, which transfers power to the trains through their pantographs.
The entire traction power supply network will be monitored in real time from a centralised control centre to oversee the electricity supply along the corridor.
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is India's first bullet train project, connecting Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The 14 traction substations will form a key part of its power infrastructure, supporting the operation of trains along the route.