I am a regular reader of your blog. Wanted to point out some corrections regarding DC current. Statement "DC currents are not suitable for transmission because of losses" is wrong. In fact, DC is better for transmission since it won't have any AC related losses like inductive loss, capacitive loss etc. For a given voltage DC is better than AC for transmission. The problem with DC is it's difficult to change its voltages. Say I supply 25kv dc it's difficult to down grade to lower voltage in the train. Whereas AC can be easily upconverted or down converted to different voltages using transformers. Whether AC or DC at high voltages transmission losses come down drastically.
Hi Laxman, thanks for flagging it. We do mention voltage drops as the reason for why early DC systems were unsuitable, but you're right that we shouldn't have said "transmission losses" at the start. We have made the correction everywhere.
fascinating to read about electrification of the indian railways.
Would like to read more about the nitty gritty of the trains and the tracks itself. Despite having trains like Vande Bharat designed for 180kmph, because of our poor tracks, the trains are slower.
Upgrading these though a massive infra undertaking will increase our economic productivity reducing travel times. could you please also research and write about the upgrading of tracks, dedicated freight corridors etc?
We're hoping to do more Railways-related pieces in the near future! There are lots of moving parts: how the tracks are replaced, who makes the coaches, the DFCs, of course. Each of them will require a Daily Brief episode of their own :)
Thanks for this. The strength of the “diesel lobby” may deserve a different essay some day. Suffice it to say that electricity can not be purloined like diesel could. That end of purloining diesel has left a large number of bleeding hearts. Next step - more and more HOG/underslung gensets, also run on bijli.
I am a regular reader of your blog. Wanted to point out some corrections regarding DC current. Statement "DC currents are not suitable for transmission because of losses" is wrong. In fact, DC is better for transmission since it won't have any AC related losses like inductive loss, capacitive loss etc. For a given voltage DC is better than AC for transmission. The problem with DC is it's difficult to change its voltages. Say I supply 25kv dc it's difficult to down grade to lower voltage in the train. Whereas AC can be easily upconverted or down converted to different voltages using transformers. Whether AC or DC at high voltages transmission losses come down drastically.
Hi Laxman, thanks for flagging it. We do mention voltage drops as the reason for why early DC systems were unsuitable, but you're right that we shouldn't have said "transmission losses" at the start. We have made the correction everywhere.
fascinating to read about electrification of the indian railways.
Would like to read more about the nitty gritty of the trains and the tracks itself. Despite having trains like Vande Bharat designed for 180kmph, because of our poor tracks, the trains are slower.
Upgrading these though a massive infra undertaking will increase our economic productivity reducing travel times. could you please also research and write about the upgrading of tracks, dedicated freight corridors etc?
We're hoping to do more Railways-related pieces in the near future! There are lots of moving parts: how the tracks are replaced, who makes the coaches, the DFCs, of course. Each of them will require a Daily Brief episode of their own :)
Thanks for this. The strength of the “diesel lobby” may deserve a different essay some day. Suffice it to say that electricity can not be purloined like diesel could. That end of purloining diesel has left a large number of bleeding hearts. Next step - more and more HOG/underslung gensets, also run on bijli.
That's perhaps why people say that this is the age of electrostates instead of petrostates!