The hub behind safe rail travel

Secunderabad: Even as the clock ticks past midnight, the maintenance crew at the Electric Loco Shed, Lalaguda, is busy fixing the traction motor of a superfast train to make it fit and safe for the passengers the next day.

The scene is repeated day in and day out as 650 employees, covering electrical, mechanical and pneumatic sections work consistently in shifts to work on the locomotives. All trains, including the superfast ones - Rajadhani, Duranto and Sampark Kranthi expresses - to the freight trains line up at the inspection bay of the loco shed for maintenance and repair work.

Once in the bay, the Progress Planning Organisation (PPO), lists out the damages and assigns job cards to the concerned sections. As the works gets over, each section has to return the job card to the PPO, to test the rectified problem. Once they go through the massive checks, they certify the repairs to get back on rails.

“The entry of loco is based on a predetermined maintenance schedules: minor - IA – 45 days, IB- 90 days, IC- 120 days, and major: AOH-18 months, MOH- 24 months, IOH- four-and-half years. The minor maintenance requires four hours while it takes 10 days for major overhaul,” said Krishnoji Rao, Senior Section Engineer.

The loco shed accommodates both conventional and computer-based three phase locomotives. Revealing details of the workload, he said it was a huge task to work on locos that came in after 24 months or four-and-a-half-year schedule. One has to separate the lower base into individual units for inspection unlike the locos that fall in the minor schedule maintenance. It takes nearly 32 hours to restore each unit.

Frequent entry of three phase locomotives due to design failure generates more workload, which comes under unscheduled maintenance. However, he said, “We release locos on time with ensuring safety and reliability. If the loco is scheduled late or in the event of a failure due to negligence, we are questioned by the Railway Board,” he emphasised.

“The mechanical section has the maximum number of employees, as it involves checking of wheels, traction motor, breaking system and cleaning the cattle blood spill which causes foul smell. All the Delhi-bound locos carry this filth into the shed, after they ram into cattle crossing the track,” he pointed.

The loco shed which started with initial holding of 72 locomotives now holds inspection work for 211 locomotives comprising of 40 WAP4, 61 WAP7 & 110 WAG9/9H for hauling passenger and goods trains. Y Sadhanand, Senior Section Engineer of auxiliary machines, fresh ITI or diploma holders are trained for six months, followed by an exam.

Staff is counselled on the dangerous implications for innocent passengers if jobs are not performed with seriousness. “Employees are covered with medical and health facilities in the event of mishaps during working hours. The Indian Railway Medical Services (IRMS) will recommend the admission of the patient super specialty hospitals on a case to case basis,” said Thourya, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer. (T-Hub)

By: Sushma Nagaraju