Guwahati, December 30 (MExN): To combat the constraints in train movement due to steep gradient, sharp curves etc. in hilly terrain, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has been initiating innovative measures time to time, an official release said.
In a recent such initiative, Lumding division of NFR conducted a successful trial of hauling a full length goods train with powerful locomotives in the challenging Lumding – Badarpur hill section, the press release from the NFR CPRO informed.
The division conducted the successful trial of hauling a full length goods train carrying food grains to Salchapra near Silchar, Assam and it was by a powerful WDG6 locomotive in the front, and one WDG4 locomotive in the rear as banking engine, it said.
This successful effort holds the promise of eliminating the need for the use of multi – loco units in the Lumding - Badarpur section, which is presently a major cause of hindrance and slow running of goods trains in the section, it added.
Loco Pilot SN Raju and Guard Subrata Das, as well as Loco Inspector DK Gour and Traffic Inspector Ashok Basak were on board the train while the whole movement of the train was monitored from the Divisional Office by a team of officers including Senior Divisional Operations Manager KK Sharma, Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer Himanshu Gunawat and Assistant Operations Manager Dipankar Gogoi under the overall guidance of Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding Shri JS Lakra.
The new WDG6G locomotives have high horsepower and capacity to haul over 6000 Tonnes, which is proving to be immensely beneficial for train movement in the section, the release said.
Once regularized, it will be possible to ensure faster and unhindered delivery of food grains and other essential commodities by rail to the states of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram apart from the Barak Valley of Assam, benefiting the people of the region, it added.
