Automatic lighting system saves energy at Delhi railway stations

With the new system, 70 per cent lights at platforms where sensors have been installed will go out after the departure of trains and come on automatically with the arrivals of trains.

The Delhi division of Northern Railway has installed automatic lighting systems at some railway stations in the Capital and other stations across the division in order to conserve energy.

With the new system, 70 per cent lights at platforms where sensors have been installed will go out after the departure of trains and come on automatically with the arrivals of trains. Railway officials said the system has been installed on one platform at each station and on an average the new system cuts down the energy demand at the platform by half.

The automated system has been installed at New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi Cantonment and Sabzi Mandi railway stations in the Capital, and Panipat, Kurukshetra and Meerut City railway stations in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

“The system has been installed on platform nos. 10 and 11 at New Delhi railway station.,” said a Northern Railway official.

“At the other stations, the system is connected with the home signals of platforms,” he added.

Installation cost

The official said the average cost of installing the energy conservation system at one platform is Rs.90,000- Rs.95,000.

The energy saving mechanism will be extended to other stations depending on availability of funds.

Apart from the automatic lighting system, authorities have also installed energy saving lights in the three high mast towers at New Delhi railway station premises.

“Nine fittings of 400 Watts each have been installed at each of the three towers. On an average, each of the high mast tower now consumes nine units of power less than usual,” said the official.