Life After AC

They will continue to convert AC to DC for purposes other than powering the trains. The Central Railway (CR) has decided not to demolish the substations.

“None of these substations would be demolished,but the number of transformers will be reduced. For instance,at Kurla we have three transformers and we would remove one. The remaining would be used to supply electricity for everything other than running the trains,” said Chief Electrical Engineer P K Srivastava.

Electric traction in India began in Mumbai and these substations helped run the first Electric Multiple Unit (EMU). Over Head Equipment (OHE) was erected by Tata Power Company in 1915. The Wadi Bunder and Kurla substations came up in 1924 followed by the first train running on 1500 V DC traction on February 3,1925,from Victoria Terminus (CST) to Coorla (Kurla).

The first EMU motorman was Jehangir Fremji Daruwalla.

Wadi Bunder substation that now provides electricity to the CST-Dadar section would be used for other purposes. Interestingly,Wadi Bunder substation,one of the oldest under Indian Railways,also provides electricity to stations from Masjid to Chinchpokli. The substation houses the old transformers. “Much of the old equipment has been scrapped,but we have retained a few transformers,” said an officer. “These are in good condition and have not been scrapped.” They were manufactured in Wolverhampton,England for the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR),now Central Railway.

The Western Railway (WR) had 22 DC substations but after the Borivali-Virar section was converted to AC traction,it only has 18. Under the new plan,WR would have five AC substations of which Borivali and Vasai Road have been commissioned and the Bandra,Jogeshwari and Mahalaxmi substations would be soon.

From Churchgate to Malad,18.25 miles,an EMU would take 27 minutes and a steam engine 36 minutes. The AC traction would make travel 25 per cent more faster than DC trains.

In the 1950s a delegation of the French National Railways had visited India on the invitation of the Railway Board and recommended the adoption of 25,000 V AC traction. Major work of changing traction was done between 1963 to 1966 across the country other than Mumbai,primarily because of non-availability of DC-AC rakes.

DC-AC conversion from Virar to Churchgate and from Karjat-Kasara to CST was included in Phase I and II of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). The Borivali-Virar,Kalyan-Karjat,Kasara-Kalyan and Diva-Kalyan sections have already been converted.