SCR rolls out 4 long-haul goods trains in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: Setting a record of sorts, the South-Central Railway introduced the innovative initiative, named as Triveni, by operating four long-haul trains in three different directions in a single day on Sunday.

Each long-haul train was made by clubbing two goods trains and these goods trains are twice longer than the normal composition of freight trains, providing an effective solution to the problem of capacity constraints in critical sections.

Out of these four trains, two trains each consisting of 118 open wagons, each consisting of 58+58 BOX N Wagons, were made and dispatched to Talcher towards Visakhapatnam direction from Vijayawada, with an average lead of around 900 kms. Another long-haul train was flagged off from Adani Krishnapatnam Port by clubbing two open wagon trains each consisting of 59 + 59 BOX N Wagons, passing through Obulavaripalli towards Kesoram Cement with a lead of 645 kms.

The third direction is from Vijayawada to Kondapalli by clubbing two covered wagon trains (BCN rakes). These four long haul trains were dispatched in all the three possible directions from Vijayawada.

The initiative was taken to speed up the operation of goods trains, so that the both empty and loaded wagons can be transported to their loading and unloading points in the least possible time, while also meeting the demands of the freight customers.

Running of long-haul trains contributes in reducing the wagon turnaround time and assists in enhancing the throughput of the freight loading. In addition, clubbing of two trains into a single train reduces the manpower need, so that they can be utilised for other train operations when there is heavy movement of trains. Operation of two trains as a single train also saves the precious path for operating other trains in the busy and saturated sections. The major advantage of running long haul trains is it helps in reducing the en route detention resulting in improved operational efficiency, which helps in increasing the average speed of both freight trains.

South-Central Railway General Manager Gajanan Mallya appreciated the officers and staff of Vijayawada Division for adopting innovative initiatives in running of freight trains which will improve the operating efficiency. He opined that running of long-haul trains will help Railways in utilising the rolling stock optimally and also assists in transporting the bulk commodities in short timeframe.