BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 29
By Anastasia Savchenko, Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend:
Spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Baku Metro CJSC Bakhtiyar Mammadov summed up the company’s activities in 2019 in an interview with Trend.
Opening of subway stations after overhaul
“One of the main events for the Baku Metro CJSC in 2019 was the opening of two stations after overhaul, namely, Bakmil and Shah Ismail Khatai stations,” Mammadov said.
“The above-mentioned stations opened after reconstruction with the participation of the president in 2019,” the spokesman said.
“As for Bakmil station, despite its full modernization, its architectural features have been preserved,” Mammadov said. “Moreover, its station platform was closed with a special umbrella in case of rains.”
Regarding the overhaul of the Shah Ismail Khatai station, the spokesman reminded that the repair work was launched at the station in 2014 while the first phase of the overhaul completed in 2016.
“As the Shah Ismail Khatai station has only one exit and entrance and the lifetime of escalators has expired, we had to re-close this station,” Mammadov added.
The spokesman also stressed that as a result, the entire infrastructure of the station was renewed but its architectural features were preserved.
“The main feature of this station was that reinforced concrete sleepers, which are produced by the company, were first used on the station tracks,” Mammadov said. “This allows us not to purchase wooden sleepers from abroad. Moreover, the lifetime of reinforced concrete sleepers is 50-80 years while the lifetime of wooden sleepers - a maximum of 40 years."
“Taking into account the existing geological conditions, the lifetime of wooden sleepers in the Baku Metro is 18-25 years,” the spokesman said.
Reserve energy sources
One of the important achievements of the Baku Metro in 2019 was the installation of diesel generator stations, Mammadov said.
Mammadov noted that the accident at the Azerbaijan Thermal Power Plant in 2018 negatively affected the activities of the Baku Metro.
"The construction of diesel generator stations, which act as backup energy sources for Baku Metro, began in accordance with the relevant instruction of President Ilham Aliyev," Mammadov said.
The spokesperson added that creation of diesel generator power stations has almost been completed at 10 substations of Azerishig OJSC, the energy distributor company of Azerbaijan.
"In total, 12 diesel generators with a capacity of 2.58 megawatts, four generators with a capacity of two megawatts and one generator with a capacity of one megawatt have been installed at the substations," Mammadov said.
The spokesperson noted that in case of emergency, escalators, ventilation systems, water pipes and lighting systems will continue to work, while the movement of trains will be ensured at the level of minimum requirements.
"At the moment, a diesel-generator station with a capacity of 16 megavolt-amperes is being built at the territory of the station under construction on the violet line of Baku Metro," Bakhtiyar Mammadov added.
New train control system
A new modern train control system is being introduced in Baku Metro CJSC, Mammadov said.
"Some types of the required equipment have already been purchased from Thales Group,” the spokesman added.
“A new system is being tested at one of the metro stations,” Mammadov said. “The full implementation of the system will take some time.”
“Four types of Thales Group system are being installed, namely a microprocessor system ensuring control over the movement of trains, a dispatcher control system, which will be installed throughout the metro in the future, a TETRA radio communication system ensuring the operator’s communication with the dispatcher, systems and equipment, ensuring control over engineering and technical devices, escalators,” the spokesman said.
“The microprocessor system and TETRA radio communication system are already being used."
“Despite the movement of trains on the existing green and red lines of the Baku Metro is currently based on SAT-ALI systems (automatic speed control and automatic control of a locomotive), CBTC automated control systems, which are the final product of technological development, will be applied soon on the green and red lines along with the purple line,” Mammadov added.
The research agreement on the establishment of operational control center and the agreement on the implementation of alarm and telecommunication systems of the Khojasan depot, signed by Azerbaijani First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva during her visit to France on March 11, 2019, are related to development of the Baku Metro in the coming years, he said.
Updating ventilation system
The reconstruction of the ventilation system in the Baku Metro was accelerated in 2019, Mammadov said.
According to the spokesperson, an optimal work schedule of fans was created, and in the current year, seven fans were installed.
"Installed Russian-made fans were purchased from the Ventprom engineering plant," Mammadov said.
The spokesperson noted that their capacity, performance and technical indicators fully comply with the operating conditions of the Baku Metro.
"The old equipment, at best, worked with a capacity of 20-30 cubic meters of air per second, but the productivity of new ones is three to four times greater," Mammadov stressed.
In conclusion, he added that in 2020, 16 new fans will be purchased, 10 of which will be installed on existing lines.