During this pandemic time of Covid-19, ER’s corona warriors of Sealdah Division have converted this crisis into an opportunity for executing some long pending infrastructural and maintenance works. Many track maintenance works have been executed ever since the nationwide lockdown was imposed. Side by side, great stress has been laid on night patrolling and night inspections. Some of the main works conducted by ER’s Sealdah Division during the lockdown period are detailed as under:-
- Patrolling of track with GPS tracker: It has been executed to ensure track safety. The key man patrolling the beat daily to observe the safety of the track are provided with GPS tracker which can be used to track their movement in real time and Railway staff can use it to call the Control Room and inform about any unusual they find on track. Monsoon patrolling of vulnerable sections is also being done in a similar manner.
- Track renewal works: For the first time track renewal work using PQRS machine has been initiated in Sealdah Division and approximately 2 km track renewal work has been completed since then and 10 km complete track renewal has been done manually.
- Deep screening of the track: 74.76 km deep screening of plain track and 70 Nos. points and level crossing deep screening have been done so far.
- Removal of scissor cross over in Sealdah South has been replaced by two crossovers.
- Removal of forced layout: 5 Nos. forced layout has been removed.
- Track tamping: Track tamping and turnout tamping have also been done.
- Ultrasonic flaw detection: Ultrasonic testing of track has also been done to detect any flaw of the track.
The basic objective of this track maintenance activity is to provide rail users smooth, safe & uninterrupted train services with a view to show zero tolerance in safety matters.
Freight Services:
Eastern Railway’s freight services are continuing on round the clock basis to ensure supply of essential commodities and other items in different parts of the country ever since the beginning of the nation-wide lockdown.
Railway freight services are having certain unique specific benefits. It is appealed to the business community to opt more for Railway mode of freight transportation as these are safe & secure way of transportation of commodities. The freight trains are running with enhanced speed to maintain strictly the punctual services. The freight trains are transporting regularly foodgrains, sugar, edible oil, fertilizers, petroleum products, cement, steel, coal and minerals.
The freight loading/unloading performance of 12.9.2020 is as follows:
Total Loading-55 Rakes:
- Coal – 21 Rakes
- Steel – 5.4 Rakes
- Cement – 8 Rakes
- Stone – 10 Rakes
- Ballast – 5 Rakes
- Container – 3 Rakes
- Jute and others – 1.6 Rakes
- Fertilizer – 1 Rake
Total Unloading-70 Rakes:
- Ballast & Railway material consignment-2 Rakes
- Cement – 6 Rakes
- Clinker – 3 Rakes
- Container – 3 Rakes
- Coal & mineral – 41 Rakes
- De-oiled cake – 2 Rakes
- Fertilizer – 2 Rakes
- Onion – 1 Rake
- Rice – 2 Rakes
- Sugar – 2 Rakes
- Steel – 2 Rakes
- Salt – 1 Rake
- Wheat – 3 Rakes
Everywhere social distancing & other health & hygiene stipulations were maintained as per Railway protocol.
Source: Eastern Railway-Press Release | Image Credit (representational): South Eastern Railway
