South Central Railway positioned itself as the top Zone amongst all the Zones over Indian Railways in execution of Track Maintenance works by efficiently utilizing the reduced train movement during the period from 01st – 25th May 2020. South Central Railway is one of the important Zones on Indian Railways spread over a total of 6336 Kms of Railway network, connecting around 754 stations and running an average about 750 passenger carrying trains and around 300 goods trains each day on its tracks.
Track maintenance is a crucial part of train operations which has a direct impact on both the safety of tracks as well as in maintaining the maximum permissible speed of the train on the tracks. Considering the importance of this as well as the reduced flow of train movements currently, the Zone has drawn a meticulous plan to utilise this period for strengthening their rail tracks for the benefit of all train movements. The Zone has properly identified sections and meticulously deployed all its track maintenance machinery over the zone for strengthening the tracks, points, crossings, sleepers and ballast for enhancing the safety, speed and reliability.
As a result, the zone has been able to achieve the highest progress in terms of Track Machine Working across the Indian Railways from 01st May to 25th May 2020. Important Track machines have been utilised during this period including Plain packing Machines, Turnout Packing (UNIMAT) Machines, Ballast Cleaning Machines and PQRS Machines.
- Plain packing Machine: It is being done by using 3x, CSM, WST machines to measure the existing track parameters and to lift the track to enable for correction of alignment, longitudinal & cross levels and also for Tamping/packing of ballast under the sleepers in order to strengthen the track. A total of 984 Kms length work has been completed by the Zone during the above period, which is almost 10% of the work executed by Indian Railways.
- Turnout packing Machine: The work will be executed by using UNIMAT machines for correction of alignment, Tamping & packing of points and crossings, which are available at the locations where change of track from one line to other line and converging of two lines etc. Accordingly, work at points and a crossing available at 496 locations over the Zone has been completed, accounting 12% of the total work executed by IR.
- Ballast Cleaning Machine: BCM machines are used to carry out Screening of folded ballast, disposal of muck away from track and to restore clean ballast cushion thereby improving the elasticity (resilience) of ballast bed and also to improve drainage of track. The Zone has completed a total of 83 Kms of Ballast cleaning accounting for about 25% of the total work executed by IR.
- Track Laying Equipment: It is done by PQRS (Plasser Quick Relaying System) machine for track and sleeper renewal works and which moves on auxiliary track of 3400 mm gauge. A total of 5.37 kms completed by the Zone which is the highest by any zone on Indian Railways.
Shri Gajanan Mallya, General Manager, SCR complimented the officers and staff of the Engineering Department from Head Quarters and Divisions for effective management and committed work shown during these tough times. He also appreciated for the coordination displayed among all the departments in expediting the track maintenance works by optimally utilising this period of less density of traffic for strengthening the tracks over SCR.
