Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Kasargod, Jan 23: Rail services in Kasargod face a potential crisis due to the suspension of power supply from Karnataka. The issue arose after a transformer at the Udupi Generating Station broke down on January 7, disrupting power to the Uppala Railway Substation.

Currently, the railway system relies on electricity supplied from the Jokatte Substation in Karnataka. However, if this supply fails, trains may halt on the tracks, creating significant operational challenges. Locomotive pilots have reported that voltage drops after trains pass Kasargod, with power to Bekal to Mangaluru operations also dependent on the Jokatte Substation.

The affected areas include key facilities such as Mangaluru Central, Mangaluru Junction, and other associated yards. Freight trains further strain the power supply. In some cases, officials preemptively cut the power to prevent overloading, leading to the possibility of trains coming to a standstill on the tracks.

The Palakkad Railway Division has nine traction substations, requiring an average of 7.15 lac units of electricity daily for smooth rail operations. Of this, 52,000 units are supplied to the Uppala section daily. This electricity is sourced from Kerala State Electricity Board’s (KSEB) Kubanoor 110 kV substation, which in turn receives power from Karnataka via the Konaje line controlled by the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL).

The breakdown of the Udupi Generating Station has left the KSEB in a predicament. Several substations in areas including Manjeshwar, Kubanoor, Vidyanagar, and Mulleria are now experiencing prolonged outages, with load-shedding continuing for the 14th consecutive day. Power to the railway’s Uppala substation has been completely halted, reducing the supply from 40 MW to just 15 MW. Approximately 2.63 lac consumers across Uppala, Kasargod, and Cherkala are affected by these outages.