CHENNAI : The first three-phase Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) train of the Southern Railway will run between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu by December-end, with the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur recently handing over a rake to the zonal railway.The new train coaches have been built with stainless steel as against carton steel used in the conventional EMUs. The coaches are fitted with LED lights along with the passenger information system.
For better passenger comfort, seats in the second-class coaches are made out of polycarbonate material replacing the wooden seats in the existing EMU trains. Besides wider windows, every coach will have a roof-mounted ventilator with sliding doors, said Integral Coach Factory (ICF)sources.The unique feature in the three-phase AC traction is that the train is powered by the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) system developed in partnership with Bombardier, a multinational company. It will convert the kinetic energy generated during the braking of the train into electrical energy which in turn will be directed back to the power grid.
“So, up to 30 per cent of the power requirement of the train would get generated on its own,” explained an official. The train would also have an advanced speed control system. “The EMU train would touch a maximum speed of 90 km in less than 20 seconds and would enable the loco pilot to have better control,” said officials.The cost of the train developed with IGBT technology is approximately `33 crore, while the conventional rakes cost roughly `22 crore.
The train handed over to the Southern Railway is being commissioned at Annanur car shed.
A senior railway official said they were awaiting inspection of 12 cars by the Commissioner of Railway Safety. “On getting cleared by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, the train will be put into the operation between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu immediately,” concluded the official.