Delhi Metro urges inclusion in power islanding scheme
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has sought inclusion in the city’s revised islanding scheme to secure uninterrupted power supply during grid failures, highlighting concerns over energy resilience in a network that ferries nearly five lakh commuters at peak hours. The appeal comes as authorities prepare for a crucial sub-station upgrade expected next year.
Islanding, a widely adopted mechanism in global power systems, allows a segment of the grid to operate independently during large-scale outages. In Delhi’s case, it is intended to shield essential services, including hospitals, airports, and critical government infrastructure, from blackouts. Despite its significance to urban mobility, the metro network was left out of the latest Islanding Scheme of 2023.
Officials explained that the DMRC has pressed for revisions, seeking to bring its substations within the islanding fold. The move would help ensure operational continuity and protect commuters from disruption during unexpected power failures. According to an internal communication, the corporation has urged Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) to acknowledge the metro system as an indispensable service that cannot afford prolonged downtime.
However, power planners caution that the metro’s traction load presents challenges. The State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) noted during a recent operational review that metro power demand fluctuates sharply, peaking at varying intervals throughout the day. Such variability, it argued, complicates the task of designing a stable islanding framework that can keep the metro energised without risking wider grid imbalance. A breakthrough may emerge once the 765 kV Narela sub-station, now under commissioning, becomes operational in August 2025. The new infrastructure is expected to substantially strengthen Delhi’s grid backbone and trigger a reassessment of the islanding plan. Officials said the DMRC’s proposal will be re-examined in that context, with studies planned on how to integrate high-capacity but variable urban transport loads into the protected islanding zone.
Experts in urban mobility stress that uninterrupted metro operations are not merely a question of convenience but of sustainability and equity. With Delhi battling rising vehicular pollution and road congestion, the metro remains the most viable low-carbon alternative for daily travel. Disruptions in metro service during blackouts could force lakhs of commuters onto private vehicles, worsening emissions and undermining efforts to build a greener city. Authorities have encouraged the DMRC to study practices in other states where rail systems are integrated into islanding plans, and to explore supplementary backup solutions such as renewable-linked storage. For now, the matter remains under review, but the growing consensus is that reliable power supply for the metro will be essential if Delhi is to align its transport backbone with the vision of a sustainable, climate-resilient city.
