MECHANIZATION OF TRACK MAINTENANCE ON INDIAN RAILWAYS STATUS AND ROADMAP AHEAD MECHANIZATION OF TRACK MAINTENANCE ON INDIAN RAILWAYS IMPORTANT CURRENT REQUIREMENTS • TRACK MONITORING • DATA & ANALYSIS (use of AI-ML algorithms) • OBJECTIVE DECISIONS BASED ON DATA • TRACK MACHINES FOR MAINTENANCE • OWNERSHIP & MAINTENANCE OF MACHINES BY PROFESSIONALS • SKILL UPGRADATION AND TRAINING MECHANIZATION OF TRACK MAINTENANCE • Historically Track was maintained manually with beater packing • First track machine was procured in 1963, which was packing only 200 sleepers per effective hour. •Now Indian Railway is using fleet of 1364 track machines for different maintenance activities including tamping machine with output of 2600 sleepers tamping per effective hour. •As a result manpower for P.Way maintenance per track km has reduced from 3.55 in 2000 to 1.75 per km in 2017-18 (Reduction of about 1,28,691 staff, 38%, annual saving of wages about 7721 Cr.). LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY NEW TECHNOLOGIES SELECTED •Introduction of high output integrated multi-functional machines • Machines for daily spot attention UTV, MPT, RBMV •Covering IR with Rail grind/milling •Automated unloading of Ballast Hopper •Mechanized renewal of short stretch •DS of PF line •Mechanized unloading of long rails •Super puller for isolated welding of long rails •Advance track inspection and monitoring systems •Skill development – Simulator •Light weight Small Track Machines LONG RAIL HANDLING SYSTEMS • Long Rail Handling Systems i. Rail Manipulator ii. Rail Putler iii. Rail Threader This can ensure faster and safe unloading of longer rails with less staff and (8 against 60 labour) time and avoid initial damage to rails. Will improve safety. PRESENT STATUS : • For 5 long Rail Handling system orders placed by SECR AUTOMATED BALLAST HOPPER UNLOADING SYSTEM • Automated Ballast unloading kits over 2,100 are in operation world over. • These kits can be fitted on existing Ballast Hoppers and can be operated with remote control from safe distance. • Gates go from open to close in 3 seconds • Remote controller range is over 500 meters • Oldest kits in service for more than 20 years • Needs only 2 people to perform the ballast unloading operation PRESENT STATUS : • A work of 120 hoppers are sanctioned for trial over 3 Railways. Cost of fitting 120 wagons and also operating all 3 rakes for 2 years is about 18 crores. MECHANIZATION OF SHORT PATCHES OF TRACK RENEWAL •RAIL CUM ROAD JCB WITH ATTACHMENTS PORTALS WITH CROWLERS PRESENT STATUS : •16 nos. of portals with crawlers proposed SUPER PULLER WITH MOBILE FBWP • Destressing and MFBW of isolated joints in long rails Present Status : • 16 No. sanctioned in the 2019-20 Budget • Tenders under preparation INTRODUCTION OF MMU SPOT ATTENTION OUTSOURCING OF MACHINES (WET LEASING) • Railway Board has issued instructions for wet leasing of Track Machines – D.S. of Track with contractual machines – Track renewal with contractor TRT/TLE – Work site tamping on a construction project PRESENT STATUS : • NR has prepared bid documents • Lead partner should be an Indian company • Deliberations on the Contract modalities INTEGRATED TRACK RECORDING CAR (TRC) 1. 2. 3. Indian Railways is having 3 nos. Contact type and 2 nos. contactless Track Recording Cars for periodic measurement and recording track parameters. RDSO is operating and maintaining these cars for recording over IR on programme basis. Advance integrated Track Recording Cars used world over are planned for further procurement with following features: • Video Recording of Track Components • Recording of clearances of fixed structure • High Speed laser based track recordings • Axle mounted sensors for monitoring oscillation 4. TRC Data are uploaded on TMS to generate track maintenance input charts for assigning specific jobs to maintenance units. Present Status Contract placed 3 nos. of TRCs RDSO. • 4 such TRCs are sanctioned in RSP-2018-19. TURNOUT MEASUREMENT SYSTEM • The turnout measurement is a time consuming activity. The mechanized measurement of turnout is need of the day. • The turnout measurement system developed in Europe can measure 100 turnouts in 8 hour shift during a day at speed of 5 to 60 kmph. Such machines are already working in Malaysia, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Germany, France and Denmark and recently ordered by Japan. Present Status: • 15 Nos. sanctioned RSP 2019-20 • Tenders are planned SELF-PROPELLED USFD TESTING •Self propelled vehicular USF testing is need of the day Present Status: • Tenders opened for 07 numbers • Sanctions available for 12 More such SPURT Cars • Efforts on for RCRV based SPURT Cars NEW TECHNOLOGIES SELECTED ZERO SPEED TRACK RECORDING CARS The “zero speed” Track Recording Cars delivers continuous geometry measurement even if the vehicle stops during the recording run. Visited one such car worksite at ATM, Milan. • • Presently : 10-15% unrecorded due to unscheduled stoppage and speed below 20 kmph. This system will ensure 100% recording of track. OUTCOME : (i) Four nos. sanctioned, Tenders are planned. GROUND PENETRATION RADAR (GPR) • • • Presently, Ballast cleaning is planned on periodicity of 10 year or 500 GMT Advance Railway systems used Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) survey to assess fouling of ballast and ballast penetration in formation for rational decision on ballast cleaning of track and formation rehabilitation The GPR survey is proposed to be adopted on Indian Railways also for objectively identifying the stretches requiring deep screening. Can be fixed on TRC for survey up to speed of 160 kmps. •Clean •Mostly Clean •Fouled Ballast •Subgrade • • Work of Rs. 29 crore sanctioned, specifications prepared. Bids are being invited by RDSO. AUTOMATED TRACK INSPECTION 1. Presently manual inspection of track is carried out for condition monitoring of track components. 2. World over video recording of track components through high resolution and high speed camera to identify track component defects is used. 3. IR planning to fix such system on high speed LHB OMS coaches in each Zonal Railway for inspection to reduce reliance on human inspection to improve safety. Present status : • 16 nos. sanctioned in RSP 2018-19 • Bids are being invited by RDSO. TGMS TROLLEYS FOR DESGIN MODE TAMPING • To avoid measuring run by tamping machines or manual measurement. • Portable Track Geometry Measuring System (TGMS) is used to record track parameter without traffic block to improve utilization of blocks. • TGMS data can be directly fed to tamping machine as its input data for tamping. • This improves productivity of tamping machine by 20-25% besides quality of work. TGI values improved substantially. Present Status • Trials completed. Railway directed to go for service contracts as required. DATA RECORDING PROCESSOR (DRP) • The quality of track parameter achieved by the tamping machines and machines parameters during tamping can be automatically documented in DRP (Data Recording Processor) during the working of machine avoiding manual recording. . • The following parameters can be recorded by using this configuration. i. Cant. vi. Squeezing pressure right ii. Twist vii. Tamping depth iii. Versine viii. Lifting value (in mm) of L.H. Rail iv. Squeezing time ix. Lifting value (in mm) of R.H. Rail v. Squeezing pressure left. • It will avoid post tamping measuring run or manual recording. Present Status : • Specifications of Track Machines have been revised to include DRP system in Indian Railways. TURNOUT MEASUREMENT SYSTEM • Maintenance of turnout is an important activity. • Turnout measurement is time consuming activity. The mechanized measurement of turnouts is need of the day. • Turnout measurement systems on track and off track have been developed world over. Present Status: •16 Nos. sanctioned in RSP 2019-20 • Tender Documents under preparation PORTABLE TRACK GEOMETRY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM • Presently track parameters are measured manually • Portable trolleys are used world over to automatically record track geometry parameters to reduce reliance on manual inspection. • The track parameters can be recorded at speed of 5 kmph. Data can be transferred to TMS for run over run analysis. • One trolley procured. Draft Specifications uploaded by RDSO seeking comments from stake holders for regular adoption over Indian Railways. OSCILLATION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (OMS) • Measurement of vertical and lateral acceleration is done using accelerometer to assess running quality of track. • Presently OMS recording is done on different coaches made available every month. Due to variation in vehicle oscillation characteristics run over run analysis of track quality is not possible. • Provision of dedicated coaches for OMS recording of track is under process to facilitate run over run comparison of OMS data to assess improvement/deterioration of track quality. SKILL DEVELOPMENT 3X- DYNAMIC TAMPER SIMULATOR 1. Indian Railway Track Machines Training Centre (IRTMTC) is located at Allahabad for training of Track Machine Operators, Technicians, officers and P.Way supervisors is now Centralized Training Institute under control of IRICEN, PUNE. 2. A leading global manufacturer has installed a 3D damping simulator costing about ₹ 5 crores for HOT-3-X Tamping Machine at IRTMTC at no cost to Railway. 3. Such simulator is available only in Japan, Malaysia, Germany and Linz besides IR. SKILL DEVELOPMENT TURNOUT TAMPING SIMULATOR Plasser and Theurer administration has agreed to provide 4S- Simulators for turnout tamping at IRTMTC, ALD at no cost to Railways AXLE BOX ACCELEROMETER • At present periodic monitoring of track is being done through Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS)/Track Recording Car (TRC). • Axle Box level Accelerometer will facilitate daily monitoring of track with daily alerts to maintenance staff for locations requiring urgent attention. • This will facilitate early attention of defect in track before it goes to unsafe level. PRESENT STATUS : • 40 nos. of such system has been sanctioned in 2018-19 for providing on 40 rakes of fastest trains on golden quadrilateral and diagonals. PLSSER & THEURER&PLANT VISIT AT LINZ TRACK INSPECTION MONITORING SYSTEM As the Indian Railway is planning to raise the speed of passenger and freight trains in time to come, the track Inspection and monitoring system is planned as indicated below to reduce reliance on human interface : Periodical inspection by RDSO : i. Integrated Track Geometry Monitoring System (ITGMS), with facility of component monitoring, axle box acceleration and clearance monitoring system up to zero speeds. ii. Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) system for ballast bed & formation monitoring. PROPOSED TRACK INSPECTION & MONITORING PLSSER & THEURER PLANT VISIT AT LINZ SYSTEM Intermediate Inspections by Zonal Railways : i. Dedicated LHB Coaches for Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) and Track component monitoring system with machine vision. ii. Vehicular USFD testing Cars (SPURT Cars) for each Railway. iii. Self-propelled Integrated turnout measurement system. PROPOSED TRACK INSPECTION & MONITORING PLSSER & THEURER PLANT VISIT AT SYSTEM LINZ Continuous daily monitoring of track : Spot attention : Axle box mounted unattended accelerometers on one axle of fastest moving train rakes to generate maintenance alerts on daily basis. i. Geometry Measurement : Track Geometry Measurement (TGM) trolleys for measurement of plain track and turnouts at required locations. ii. Broken Rail Detection System : a. b. Ultrasonic Broken Rail Detection System (UBRD) : South African Technology under trial in NCR, NR. Rail Fracture and Intrusion Detection System : Being installed in 80 km length in NCR for trial purpose. iv. Flood Level Monitoring System : 114 systems installed. v. Bank Slip and vulnerable location monitoring : Under trials at 2 locations vi. Continuous Scour Monitoring at Bridge Foundation : 4 installed on trial in NFR, SR being installed in NR, CR also. NEW TECHNOLOGIES SELECTED LIGHT WEIGHT SMALL TRACK MACHINES (Light Weight Off track tamping) (Clamp) (Light weight abrasive Cutter) (Battery operated light weight Rail Drilling Machine ) IR is having indigenously developed machines taking longer time for activities. OUTCOME : RDSO is developing specifications and vendor list for light weight machines. Thank You TURNOUT MEASUREMENT SYSTEM • Maintenance of turnout is an important activity. • Turnout measurement is time consuming activity. The mechanized measurement of turnouts is need of the day. • Turnout measurement systems on track and off track have been developed world over. • Mobile turnout measurement trolley has been tried over IR and specifications are under finalisation by RDSO and trials will be conducted on WR in the second week of November, 2018. • AUTOMATED BALLAST HOPPER UNLOADING SYSTEM • Automated Ballast unloading kits over 2,100 are in operation world over. • These kits can be fitted on existing Ballast Hoppers and can be operated with remote control from safe distance. • Gates go from open to close in 3 seconds • Remote controller range is over 500 meters • Oldest kits in service for more than 20 years • Needs only 2 people to perform the ballast unloading operation • A work of 120 hoppers is to be sanctioned by NR for trial over 3 Railways. Cost of fitting 120 wagons and also operating all 3 rakes for 2 years is about 18 crores. BALLAST CLEANING MACHINE (BCM) BALLAST REGULATING MACHINE (BRM) DYNAMIC TRACK STABILIZER (DTS) POINTS AND CROSSING TAMPER (PCT 4S) HIGH OUTPUT TAMPER (HOT-3X) HIGH OUTPUT TAMPER (HOT-CSM) MUCK DISPOSAL UNIT (MDU) MULTI PURPOSE TAMPER (MPT) RAIL GRINDING MACHINE (RGM) SHOULDER BALLAST CLEANING MACHINE (SBCM) UTILITY VEHICLE (UTV) TRACK RELAYING TRAIN (TRT) TRACK LAYING EQUIPMENT (TLE/PQRS) WORKSITE TAMPER PCCM (T-28) RAIL THREADER RBMV SATELLITE DEPOT AT TRICHI (SR) •To be provided one for each Division •Approximate Cost = Rs. 5 Cr with all T&P •Work can be executed chargeable to track renewals (LSWP) in stages and provisions in construction projects for track machine maintenance facilities in that area.
