A first-of-its-kind for the city, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has constructed two underground sub-stations to provide power to the high-speed Delhi Metro Airport Metro Express and its Central Secretariat-Badarpur Line. The Corporation plans to build nine such sub-stations for its upcoming Phase III project.
The two sub-stations have been set up on an area of 5,000 sq metres on Church Road near North Block and Rashtrapati Bhavan at a cost of Rs.60 crore. While the Airport Express Line is already being fed from the new sub-station, the Central Secretariat-Badarpur line will receive power from the new sub-station from next month.
“The sub-station, which is 6 m below the ground, has already started feeding the Airport Line since June and will provide power supply to the Central Secretariat-Badarpur Line from next month,” said DMRC Director (Electrical) Satish Kumar.
In case of a power shutdown, there is a switching arrangement at the two inter-connected sub-stations, said Mr. Kumar.
The sub-stations, according to Mr. Kumar, took a little over a year to be constructed. Because the stations are underground, they have been provided with special ventilation, drainage and earthing system. Imported gas insulated switchgear that saves space in comparison to air-insulated equipment have also been provided, he added.
In accordance with the provisions of local laws in Lutyens' Zone that prohibited construction of the structures above the ground, the top of the underground sub-stations is being maintained as a park.
He said the New Delhi Municipal Council has approached the DMRC to construct a similar sub-station for them.
