Bombardier Transportation has won a `11.2 billion contract to supply Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) propulsion and control equipment. The company will design, manufacture, test and deliver its MITRAC propulsion and control equipment plus other equipment such as compressors, high voltage instruments fans and a passenger information system to MRVC as part of the contract. The equipment for 72 trains of 12 coaches each will be produced at Bombardier’s recently expanded Propulsion and Controls Production and Development Centre in Maneja, Vadodara and supported by Bombardier’s plants at Mannheim and Hennigsdorf in Germany.
Bombardier’s MITRAC Energy Saver saves light rail vehicles about 30 percent on energy consumption and travel stretches of rail lines without drawing power from overhead power sources. It makes this possible by storing on-board in capacitors the energy generated during braking. This energy is used when the vehicles start again, thus providing power for acceleration. A light rail vehicle using this system can accelerate up to about 1000 metres without drawing power from the pantograph. The MITRAC TCMS from the company is a high performance, expandable and scalable communications system built with open-standard IP technology which integrates all control, system management and communication functions aboard the train.