Southern rly rolls out EV-battery swapping facility at suburban stns

Chennai: Suburban and MRTS passengers arriving at stations on electric vehicles may soon be able to swap discharged batteries for fully charged ones within minutes, as southern railway's Chennai division begins rolling out EV battery-swapping stations across its suburban rail network. A release said 21 contracts have been awarded for a five-year period to install and operate the facilities at key suburban railway stations. "Chennai division's suburban network caters to lakhs of passengers. The provision of battery-swapping stations is expected to enhance last-mile connectivity and benefit commuters, delivery personnel, students and the general public using electric vehicles," said A Elumalai, public relations officer, Chennai division, southern railway. "The initiative is expected to generate an annual licence fee revenue of 53.43lakh."The facilities are being introduced at stations including Central, Egmore, Greenways Road, Mandaveli, Kotturpuram, Chintadripet, Thiruvanmiyur, Velachery, St Thomas Mount, Saidapet, Pallavaram, Villivakkam and Washermenpet, among others, based on passenger footfall and demand for EV infrastructure.According to the release, the battery-swapping model allows users to replace discharged batteries with fully charged ones within minutes, eliminating the waiting time associated with conventional charging. The service will be accessible through mobile applications operated by authorised Charge Point Operators (CPOs)."As per the agreement, licensees will be responsible for installation, operation and maintenance of the facilities, while the railway administration will provide suitable space within station premises," the release said. It added that the facilities require minimal space and "will not affect passenger movement."Railway officials said the move aligns with the Govt of India's push to promote green mobility, reduce carbon emissions and encourage use of electric vehicles.