The Transportation department of South Central Railway has decided to run the 17651/52 Kacheguda – Chengalpattu express with electric traction between Gooty and Chengalpattu, with a unique ‘Diesel on top of Electric’ arrangement between Kacheguda and Gooty.
This arrangement will commence from January 26th where the train will depart with a dead electric loco attached behind the leading diesel loco at Kacheguda. At Gooty, the Diesel loco would be cut off and the electric loco takes over all the way till Chengalpattu. In the opposite direction, the train would run with an electric loco from Chengalpattu to Gooty. At Gooty, a diesel loco would be attached in front of the electric loco and run till Kacheguda.
Similarly the 17251/52 Kacheguda – Guntur express would run with diesel on top of Electric between Kacheguda and Dhone. The electric loco would power the train between Dhone and Guntur. The change would be effective from February 5th ex-Guntur and February 6th ex-Dhone.
The section between Kacheguda – Dhone is undergoing electrification which is likely to be completed by the end of 2020. This arrangement also paves the way for a similar arrangement to be used for trains like the Kacheguda – Mysore express, Kacheguda – Mangalore exp and the Venkatadri expresses.
The recent innovation that we reported earlier in the day about the introduction of a new class of locomotive, the WDAP-5, would be ideal in such a scenario where part of the route is unelectrified. The move also helps in loco rotation from Lallaguda electric loco shed towards Guntur and Gooty.
Images: Indiarailinfo
Good idea . Same can implement Mambai to Hyderabad section also.
What is the point of hauling a dead locomotive back and forth over several hundred kilometers? This will increase fuel/energy used and cause wear and tear even to the dead locomotive. Why not just park a locomotive at the point where electric traction begins/ends?