Northeast Frontier Railway Unveils Groundbreaking Track Maintenance Techniques
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Guwahati, Dec 6 (NationPress) In a groundbreaking initiative, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has become the first in India to implement an innovative system that utilizes road machinery, including Hydra cranes and backhoe loaders, to expedite the maintenance of points and crossings. These components are essential for railway networks, as they allow trains to switch tracks and safely navigate between them.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, announced on Friday that this innovative approach, which was successfully trialed on November 29 at the Pandu machine siding in Maligaon, Guwahati, represents a significant milestone in the zone’s commitment to enhancing safety and timely maintenance of railway tracks.
Sharma explained that traditionally, track maintenance on the Indian Railways has relied on track machines that play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of railway operations.
Currently, there are 1,684 track machines operational within the Indian Railways, with an additional 301 machines on the way.
Sharma noted that these machines include Ballast Cleaning Machines, Tamping Machines, Dynamic Track Stabilisers, Muck Disposal Units, among others.
Plasser India, a key supplier of track machinery to the Indian Railways, established a new manufacturing facility in Karjan, Gujarat in 2019 to meet the increasing demands of both the Indian and international markets, as stated by the official.
He further emphasized that in alignment with the Prime Minister’s initiatives of “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, Plasser India is not only enhancing local content in manufacturing but is also exporting to countries such as the USA, Canada, and Australia.
The novel application of road machinery for the maintenance of points and crossings is expected to serve as a significant enhancement to the existing track machines.
The NFR CPRO highlighted that through careful planning and addressing logistical challenges, this new method has yielded impressive outcomes in improving ballast cushion and track stability.
Thanks to the ready availability of road machinery and their capacity to be deployed in hard-to-reach areas, this system has the potential to significantly support track machines in ensuring the swift maintenance of numerous points and crossings located in remote regions across the NFR’s jurisdiction.
This pioneering initiative underscores NFR's dedication to adopting advanced methods to bolster safety, efficiency, and reliability in train operations and infrastructure upkeep, setting a high standard for railway zones nationwide.
The NFR operates across the northeastern states as well as in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of northern Bihar, managing over 6,400 km of tracks within its jurisdiction.
