2:17 PM
Diesel locomotive for NMR ruled out
Southern Railway General Manager Rakesh Mishra speaking at Udhagamandalam on Tuesday.— Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy
General Manager of Southern Railway Rakesh Mishra on
Tuesday cited practical difficulties in replacing oil-fired locomotives
with diesel locomotives on the Nilgiris Mountain Railway and inability
to operate additional services on the NMR section owing to
safety-related constraints.
He was on a routine
inspection of the NMR along with the Divisional Railway Manager, Salem,
Sujatha Jeyaraj, for assessing the stability of the track and other
operational difficulties.
Mr. Mishra told reporters
that Railways would initiate measures through agencies concerned for
clearing the choked rainwater drain systems at various places along the
NMR section and measures would be initiated for putting mesh type nets
at places which are vulnerable to landslip during rainy season.
As
regards locomotives, Mr.Mishra said that indigenously-manufactured
oil-fired locomotives have brought respite from the earlier operational
problems caused by coal fired locomotives. The locomotives have adequate
hauling capacity.
Two oil-fired locomotives from the
Golden Rock Workshop at Tiruchi have already joined the NMR system and
of the remaining two, one would reach Mettuppalayam by September .
Increase in number of locomotives would not help in introducing more
services.
Mr. Mishra pointed out that line had to be
inspected in the morning by railway employees by foot and clear the
track for the first service and in the evenings there is a need for
operating the return trip early because of the risk of wild elephants.
Hence, it would be impossible to operate more services or add extra
coach in the existing service. Diesel locomotives would not be feasible
as they are not compatible with the rack and pinion system of operation
in the ghat section for hauling the train while descending steep
gradients.
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