Rlys. inducts new machines for mechanised track maintenance

New Delhi : The Indian Railway has inducted three 09-3X Dynamic Tamping Express machines, the state of the art integrated track maintenance. These machines were inaugurated and flagged off by M K Gupta, Member (Engineering), Railway Board, at Faridabad. Seven such machines are planned to be included within next six months in the present fleet of 874 track maintenance machines for deployment on heavy density routes.

The New 09-3X- Dynamic Tamping Express costing about Rs 27 crore each is a latest high output integrated tamping machine having multiple functions, so far being carried out by different machines. It can measure pre & post track geometry, correct the track to required geometry, can tamp three sleepers simultaneously, stabilize and measure post tamping track parameters under load to ensure quality of work done. This eliminates the need for a separate stabilisation machine which reduces operating costs and track possession time. This machine will vibrate & compact the loose stone ballast after tamping for safe movements of trains, according to a PIB release.

These machines have been manufactured in India under Make In India initiative with imported components and 42 more such machines have been planned to be included in Indian Railway maintenance fleet over next three years. This will further improve the safety, reliability and economy in maintenance of tracks. This will also eliminate manual measurement of track quality after maintenance.

For practical hands-on training to operate such advanced track maintenance machines, a new 3D state-of-the-art tamping simulator has been installed and commissioned at Indian Railway Track Machine Training Centre (IRTMTC), Allahabad, recently. This type of advanced technology simulator is presently available only in five countries including India. India Railway has planned complete mechanisation of inspection, monitoring, relaying and maintenance of track by 2024.

A K Khandelwal, Executive Director, Track Machines, Railway Board, and Siegfried Fink, MD, Plasser India, were also present during the inspection and Commissioning of these machines at Faridabad.