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dna exclusive: Spurious electric signals play havoc with AC local, cost set to escalate

Harmonics is an electrical term for spurious signals that create disturbances in electrical signals and can end up damaging control mechanisms and other software in the train.

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An AC local rake at Kurla car shed
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The first air-conditioned local for Mumbai's suburban network, currently being tested at Central Railway's (CR) Kurla car shed, is turning out to be a disaster. The rake, which cost Rs54 crore to build, will require another few crores as it will have to be fitted with an inductor to control the undesirable "harmonics" in the rake.

Harmonics is an electrical term for spurious signals that create disturbances in electrical signals and can end up damaging control mechanisms and other software in the train.

According to sources, the order for an inductor has already been placed with the Netherlands-based firm Strukton Rail, which helped Indian power major Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) build the Train Control and Management System (TCMS) for the AC rake.

"The harmonics was playing havoc with the product and several functions of the train were not responding properly to TCMS commands. This included the doors, air-conditioning, voltage and so on. Every trick was tried to reduce these harmonics. It was finally decided that setting an extra inductor for the train was the only choice. It is a costly affair but there is no other choice," said a top-ranking railway official.

According to officials, if the inductor arrives by the end of August, dynamic trials – testing on tracks in real-time – can be carried out by the middle of September. Dynamic trials are expected to take at least till the end of November.

"It is possible that the rake will be commissioned only in the fag end of the year or may be in early 2017. It has lost a lot of time," said the official.

The rake was supposed to cost Rs43 crore when the layout was approved by the railway ministry in March 2014. It was finally finished two years later at a cost of Rs54 crore – a sizable 25 per cent increase in the construction cost. It arrived in Mumbai on April 5 and has been stabled at the Kurla car shed.

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