The Indian Railways has utilized the lockdown time frame and the resultant suspension of traveler administrations to address long-pending maintenance work at the rail network, the national transporter said in an announcement on Saturday
According to an press release, the determined workers of Indian Railways performed maintenance works that include yard remodelling, renewal of scissors crossover, repairs of bridges during this lockdown. The national transporter also added that such process would improve security and operational efficiencies.
Around 500 heavy duty Track Maintenance Machines alongside track, sign and Overhead Equipment (OHE) maintainers have worked relentlessly for 10,749 machine days to finish past due track upkeep of 12,270 km plain track, and 5263 numbers of turn outs, it stated.
It further included that health of the track has been under surveillance through periodic runs of Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) cumulating 1,92,488 km of track at 5,362 peak locations notified by OMS test has been performed to ensure nice quality.
The ultrasonic flaw detection (USFD) of 30,182 km of track and 1,34,443 rail welds has been completed with USFD machine. Besides, basic summer safeguard activities like de-stressing of long welded rail (LWR) which required tremendous labor were initiated.
Undisputedly Indian railway utlilized this second phase of lockdown like never before and considered it as once in a life time opportunity to fix the maintenance issues and overdued works.