South Western Railways says HOG tech helped it save 70 cr diesel

Bengaluru: The Indian Railways, in an environment-friendly initiative, has cut down on its fuel bills by introducing HOG (Head-on-Generation) technology on trains. For HOG to be adopted, trains should have LHB coaches and should be hauled by electric traction.

Speaking to media persons, South Western Railways(SWR) General Manager Sanjeev Kishore said around 40 trains have been running with HOG system since November 2019. The estimated savings by SWR on account of reduction in HSD (high-speed diesel) consumption in power cars for December 2021 alone is Rs 6.93 crore, and Rs 70.12 crore for 2021.

HOG technology is being implemented to cater to the power needs of coaches such as air-conditioning and lighting. Earlier, two power cars known as End On Generators (EOG) housing diesel generators were attached to trains to generate power for coaches.

In the HOG system, the power supply to electrical equipment in LHB coaches is supplied from a HOG-compatible electric loco by tapping overhead power lines, thereby resulting in a huge reduction in consumption of HSD (high-speed diesel). Besides savings in HSD, the noise due to operation of DG sets is totally eliminated. Due to the fast pace of electrification in SWR, more and more trains will be run with the HOG system in future.

In place of power coaches, additional coaches can be attached to trains and additional berths will be available for passengers everyday.