GUWAHATI, Feb 25 - The Rangiya Division of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has become the first division in the zone to achieve 100 per cent mechanised deep screening of tracks.
Mechanised deep screening is the process of screening the stones or ballast below the railway track to remove muck and all other unwanted matter which adversely affect track drainage.
�It is very essential to screen the ballast to ensure that the track base is sufficiently elastic and there is jerk-free riding. A clean ballast vision also ensures minimum track failure like rail fractures,� said an NF Railway official.
The task is carried out by machines which are very expensive and each such machine costs over Rs one crore.
�The Rangiya Division�s success has come about due to innovation by the Civil Engineering Department, whereby different kinds of track maintenance machines were clubbed together to form a unit so that all kinds of track maintenance can be carried out in particular section together,� said the official.
He added that maintenance of tracks is of paramount importance for safe running of trains.
Till the introduction of Track Maintenance Machines in 1995, the time spent on such activities in the NF Railway was very high and resources spent were also enormous.
The official said that the NF Railway has a total of 39 machines of various types. In addition, 29 additional machines are to be allotted to the zone.
They include ballast cleaning machines, points and crossing tamping machines, and track tamping machines.
�From September 2017, we have started using four to six machines in tandem in one area during a traffic block, when all train movements are stopped for enabling repair work. This has led to good results.
�Recently, two turnouts were screened by a single ballast cleaning machines in about four hours in the same month,� said the official.
The NF Railway has five divisions � Rangiya, Lumding, Tinsukia, Alipurduar and Katihar.