Bio-Diesel to account for 5% of total Diesel Consumption in the Railways

Chennai (MAS): Southern Railway has decided to use bio-diesel in a big way in its fleet of diesel locomotives to reduce fuel consumption and cut down its oil bill.

Towards this direction, the railway authorities will soon put in place requisite facility near the Diesel Loco Shed in Tiruchi to store huge quantity of bio-diesel for use in diesel locomotives.

Southern Railway officials are in talks with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for establishing a huge tank to store bio-diesel at the shed here and laying pipelines for fuelling.

The plan was to use 5 per cent of bio –diesel for the diesel locos belonging to the Southern Railway zone, railway sources told.

A bio-diesel tank with a 20 kilo-litre storage capacity is proposed to be set up initially close to the railway consumer depots adjoining the shed homing different types of diesel locomotives.


S.C. Railway joins the race – gets first Bio-diesel Engine on World Environment Day (file photo)

Once the tank is established and the requisite pipelines were laid, five per cent bio-diesel would begin to be used in all diesel locomotives which come for refuelling at the Diesel Loco Shed and at the Tiruchi Goods Yard, a senior Southern Railway official said.

The IOC has laid pipelines connecting the Diesel Loco Shed and the Tiruchi Goods Yard where the refuelling takes place currently.

The bio-diesel tank and the pipelines are expected to be completed by this month or latest by October, the sources said and added that a 70 kilo-litre bio-diesel tank would be put in place later at the shed.

Bio-diesel would be used for different variants of diesel locomotives, including the ‘Alco’ type loco which is the main stay of the Indian Railway as well as in the high horse power EMD locos which can chug at a speed of 120 kmph.

The fuel tank capacity of the diesel locomotives varies as per the type and could store diesel ranging from 5,000 litres to 6,000 litres.


AGM/SCR inagurating the 1st Bio-Diesel facility at RCD, Sanathnagar Depot (File Photo)

The whole idea of using bio-diesel is to conserve high-speed diesel being used in diesel locomotives, the officer said and added that it would enable the railways to make substantial savings in its fuel bill. In addition to Tiruchi shed, necessary facility was being created near the Diesel Loco Shed at Erode falling under the Salem Railway Division to store bio-diesel, the sources said.

The over 30-year-old Tiruchi Diesel Loco Shed accommodates over 100 diesel locomotives including 45 high horsepower EMD locomotives.