Bilimora Substation Reaches Final Stage for Bullet Train

Work on the first traction substation for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project at Bilimora, in Gujarat's Navsari district, has entered its last stage.

The facility is the first of 14 traction substations proposed for the 508-kilometre high-speed rail corridor. Covering about 18,000 square metres, it is now undergoing final installation and checks.

Equipment is being installed, tested and commissioned at a fast pace. Control panels, changeover switches, transformers and circuit breakers have already been fitted inside the buildings. Gantry towers and beams are fully built.

The corridor's 14 traction substations will ensure trains receive power without disruption. Each one takes electricity from the grid, converts it to the required voltage, and feeds it into the traction power system that operates the trains.

Five substations are planned in Maharashtra, covering Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar and the Thane depot. Nine are planned in Gujarat, covering Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Mehemdabad, Ahmedabad and the Sabarmati depot.

In Gujarat, power will come from the 220 kV Ambheta grid substation of GETCO. It will then pass through a 2x25 kV traction power supply system to the overhead equipment (OHE) on the viaduct.

From the overhead wires, trains will draw energy through their pantographs. The full traction power network will be monitored in real time from one centralised control centre, giving continuous oversight of supply across the corridor.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, spanning 508 kilometres, is India's first bullet train project and links Maharashtra with Gujarat. The 14 traction substations are a major part of its electrical infrastructure and will help keep bullet train services running smoothly along the route.