The Hindu Business Line : Railways mulls higher speeds for freight trains

Kolkata, Sept.4 Indian Railways is planning to increase the average speed of freight trains. Currently, the average speed per hour is approximately 25 km per hour. “Even if the average speed is stepped up only by five km per hour, we’ll consider it an achievement considering the current state of our infrastructure,” according to sources from the Railways.

In the Railways — it is the mail,express and the super fast passenger trains that get priority in matter of speed, and not the freight trains. Driven by a shift in thinking, high speed freight trains too are being considered. The new rakes are being acquired under both Wagon Investment Scheme as well as normal acquisition programme.

But, only adding to the fleet capacity will not help to achieve the targeted growth in traffic unless the average turnaround time also improves. The tracks have to be kept free for movement of more trains.

Approvals needed

One proposal is to run the high speed goods trains on the same track close on the heels of fast-running passenger trains. Operationally it becomes easier because clearances with respect to several stations are taken well in advance for running a fast-moving passenger train.

More importantly, the tracks and other facilities on these routes are already geared to handle fast-moving trains. But such an exercise alone may not be enough. Railways, therefore, is mulling if new sections where it is possible to run high speed trains could be identified.

For this, the strengthening of the sections concerned will be needed. Also, the approvals of the Commissioner of Railway Safety have to be obtained.

Next, in matter of high speed, the priority may be given to empty rakes which account for nearly 40 per cent of the total freight trains. For example, the rakes carrying coal from the West Bengal and Jharkhand belt to North Indian power houses mostly come back empty.

Similarly, most iron ore rakes to steel plants come back in ballast. Only the rakes carrying exports to ports will have the cargo support for back-loading.

The other factors which deserve attention are the training of drivers and proper maintenance of the locomotives. The top-class drivers and locomotives are now earmarked for mail,express and super fast passenger trains; not freight trains. Such a policy may require reconsideration.

Finally, the Railways is planning to induct high speed and high capacity wagons and locomotives to suit the requirement of the proposed dedicated freight corridors.

Unless the speed of the freight trains on other routes too are synchronised with that of the trains to be moved on the proposed corridor, the desired result may be difficult to obtain, it is felt.