Tiruchi Railway to Install Solar Power for Energy Requirements

The Tiruchi Railway Division will exploit the solar power as a back up for its energy requirements.

The Tiruchi Railway Division has decided to take the environment-friendly green path by exploiting solar power as a back up for its energy requirements.

The railway authorities have identified select railway stations, chosen manned level-crossings and some of its establishments in the division where it has proposed to install solar plants and solar power panels to electrify the buildings.

The division has planned to establish grid connected solar power plants at three railway stations — Kumbakonam, Neyveli, and Chidambaram besides the Running Room at Tiruchi in the next fiscal.

Each of the solar power plants proposed to be installed at the chosen railway stations besides the running room would be able to generate 10 KW power during peak sunlight, say railway officials.

The solar plant would be connected to the grid and the power generated would be utilised for day-to-day requirements, said a senior railway official and added that it would be a back up for power being supplied by the Tangedco. In the absence of adequate sunlight, the system would automatically revert to utilising power supplied by the Tangedco, the official added.

In addition to this, the divisional railway authorities have proposed to put in place solar back up system in 60 manned level-crossings falling in the non-electrified Villupuram–Mayiladuthurai main line section. Each one of these level-crossing would have solar back-up system which could generate 640 watt power.

Officials said solar power panels were proposed to be installed at five locations – Tiruchi railway junction, Golden Rock railway hospital, Zonal Railway Training Institute in Tiruchi, Villupuram Junction and the Divisional Railway Manager office complex in Tiruchi. The solar power panels at the five locations would generate 495 kilo watt power.

As an energy conservation measure, the railway authorities have decided to supply 6,285 LED 7W lamps to the occupants of railway quarters in Tiruchi Division under the Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme scheme during the course of the next fiscal.