In a major step toward energy resilience and passenger safety, Metro Railway Kolkata has commissioned a 4 MW / 6.4 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on its Blue Line, covering the underground Dumdum to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar corridor.
The deployment is designed to enhance operational reliability, particularly during grid disturbances and power outages. The battery system ensures that trains stranded between stations can be safely moved to the nearest platform, significantly reducing the risk of mid-tunnel stalling. It also supports critical infrastructure such as tunnel ventilation, lighting, and signalling systems, strengthening passenger safety standards across the network.
The project has been implemented in collaboration with Delta Electronics India, which supplied lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology integrated with advanced power electronics. The system forms part of a broader microgrid architecture, making it one of the first large-scale underground metro networks in India to adopt such a solution.
Beyond emergency backup, the BESS is expected to improve overall energy efficiency by optimising power consumption and stabilising load fluctuations. This aligns with broader decarbonisation and sustainability goals within India’s urban transport infrastructure.
With metro systems increasingly exploring electrification and storage-led resilience strategies, Kolkata Metro’s initiative could serve as a benchmark for future deployments across other Indian cities.
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