OREANDA-NEWS. October 18, 2007. The power supply to all socially significant consumers Gagarin (Smolensk region) was restored as JSC “Smolenskenergo” Grids Maintenance Center informed.

As previously stated 110-35 kV power equipment in Smolensk region was cut off due to  heavy snow, gale force wind and falling trees. Two hospitals and eighteen nursery schools of the town were cut off and later on powered from off-line power back up facilities. At the moment, the power supply of the above stated units is restored.

“Over 19 maintenance crews are working on high voltage lines and over 40 crews are repairing low voltage lines, - said Mikhail Khvostantsev, the Managing Director of JSC “Smolenskenergo”. – The work is being done jointly with Moscow Railways, the regional control center of Smolensk region, Gagarin and Vyazma local and regional authorities. The natural disaster did not catch power engineers by surprise even at the week end. We are doing everything possible to minimize the natural disaster consequences”.

Three 110 kV tracking substations “Gagarin Tracking”, “Sergo-Ivanovskaya Tracking” and “Mescherskaya Tracking” were cut off as well due to weather conditions. In the evening “Sergo-Ivanovskaya Tracking” and “Mescherskaya Tracking” were powered and the running of trains was restored on the Moscow Railways.