At approximately 6:00 a.m. on February 27, at the corner of Woodman and 69th streets, a project to deliver and set in place a new power substation had begun.

A massive crane had been erected to lift the substation off of the truck, and crews from the general contractor (Schimmick), Metropolitan Transit System, Siemens, SDG&E, and other subcontractors were working together to get it in place.

According to an MTS superintendent/consultant, the power substation generates power to the trolley lines/cars and will replace the current substations at the Encanto and Massachusetts Street stops. This will serve to upgrade the lines (which are 30 years old) and provide better control of the speed and traction of the lines and cars. The substation will also provide increased quality of monitoring the traffic signals and safety crossings.

The substation was built by Siemens in Fontana. SDG&E will have to complete trenching before lines can be laid and electrical service can be initiated.

Once in place, the system will undergo testing day and night through all periods of traffic to ensure that everything is operating correctly. SANDAG is overseeing the project and providing funds that come from a pool of various sources.

Setup was scheduled to be completed by 1:30 p.m. today, though the rain may have hindered progress. Another two months of testing need to be completed before the substation is expected to be in operation.