Railways plans track upgrades, safety boost with outsourcing, simulators

The Indian Railways has developed a new safety plan that includes training loco pilots using simulators and outsourcing parts of maintenance operations, according to a report by The Economic Times. This decision follows a series of train accidents over the past two years.

In a recent move, the Railway Board directed all zonal railways to consider outsourcing the maintenance of machinery essential for track renewal. These machines are critical for keeping the tracks in good condition, but due to staffing issues—whether from unfilled vacancies or insufficient posts—their operation has been affected, often leaving them underused.

The Railway Board’s directive calls for zonal railways to explore outsourcing these tasks to address the shortage of manpower and ensure smooth maintenance operations, the report stated.

Integrated track machines

The report quoted an official as saying, "The proposed upgrade would focus on improved track maintenance," adding that new technology is also being introduced.

With increased traffic leading to higher utilisation of existing tracks, the time available for maintenance work has reduced. This has created a demand for integrated track machines, which combine tamping and track-stabilising functions to expedite maintenance tasks, the report said.

An official noted that the track maintenance equipment currently in use by Indian Railways lacks integrated capabilities.

Procurement for modernisation

The modernisation effort aims to standardise machinery across the railway's entire fleet.

The report quoted an official as saying, “Orders have been placed for loco simulators and upgraded track maintenance machines." He added that both local and international suppliers have been tapped.

So far, contracts worth Rs 212.25 crore have been awarded for the purchase of 17 loco simulators, secured by companies from Spain, Belgium, and Poland, alongside Indian firms. In addition to these large-scale procurements, smaller purchases, like automatic fire detection and suppression systems, have also been made, the report further stated.