Indian Railways uses lockdown period to carry out major track maintenance work pending for years

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The Indian Railways has used the lockdown period and the resultant suspension of passenger services to address long-pending maintenance work on the rail network, the national transporter said in a statement. This, it said, would improve safety and operational efficiencies.

Around 500 modern heavy duty Track Maintenance Machines along with track, signal and Overhead Equipment (OHE) maintainers have worked regularly for 10,749 machine days to complete overdue track maintenance of 12,270 km plain track.

Ultrasonic flaw detection (USFD) of 30,182 km of track and 1,34,443 rail welds has been carried out with USFD machine.

"Indian Railways planned these works during lockdown period considering it Once in a lifetime opportunity' to wipe out these maintenance arrears and take up the execution of work without affecting the train service," railways said.

Health of the track has been monitored through periodic runs of Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) cumulating 1,92,488 km of track at 5,362 peak locations indicated by OMS test has been attended to ensure proper quality.

Critical summer precaution activities like de-stressing of long welded rail (LWR) which involved huge men power has been taken up with a new procedure for carrying out the work with ensuring social distancing norms. A total of 2,246 km of de-stressing of LWR has been done.

Track work conducted during the lockdown include remodelling of Kazipet Yard,Vijayawada Yard,Bangalore City yard, Baroda station.

Important bridge works include re-girdering of Bridge No. 86 on Tunga River near Shivamogga Town, dismantling of Road Over Bridge (ROB) near Chennai Station, construction of bridge in Rajahmundry-Vishakhapatnam section, launching of 6 Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) under Bhusawal division among others, according to the statement.

(With PTI inputs)