BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has planned to start its first Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train by the end of May. In the first phase, the train, which can accelerate and decelerate faster, will ply between Berhampur and Bhadrak.General Manager of ECoR Umesh Singh said a maintenance shed for MEMU coaches at Khurda Road has been completed. Three rakes of MEMU having 12 coaches each are expected to arrive soon, he said. While each unit has one motor car and three traveling cars, as many as 1,320 passengers can travel in a 12-coach rake with each coach having a capacity of 110 passengers. Besides, it has ample space for standing passengers.
“Initially, the Berhampur-Cuttack fast passenger will be replaced by MEMU and more such services will be introduced in other sections gradually. Since the train will have engines at both ends, it will not consume extra time for engine reversal. We hope passenger trains will be able to maintain punctuality after introduction of the service,” Singh said.
As part of passenger initiatives, while two new trains - Bhubaneswar-Krishnarajpuram weekly Humsafar Express and Bhubaneswar-New Delhi via Sambalpur have been introduced, services of two passenger trains have been extended up to Nayagarh Town. The ECoR has also started concreting all platforms and elimination of unmanned level crossings. All such level crossings have been closed in Khurda division and steps have been initiated to make Sambalpur and Waltair divisions free of unmanned crossings by July.
He informed that projects worth around `7,000 crore have been sanctioned in the railway division this year which is at least 40 per cent more from the previous year. The Railways, however, managed to spend `3,300 crore of around `5,300 crore sanctioned last year, he said.Among major works done last year, a bridge between Visakhapatnam and Koraput was rebuilt in a record 58 days and 75 km of doubling, 17 km of new line, eight road over bridges, 16 road under bridges completed besides remodeling of Simachalam station.
The doubling of line between Rayagada and Therubali is expected to completed by May 31. While the centralised train control system has been made operational at Khurda Road, similar facilities will start soon at Sambalpur and Visakhapatnam stations. “We have emerged as largest freight loading railway zone with 182.72 million tonnes last year. All railway stations have been provided with LED lights and stringent action taken against criminal gangs resulting in significant reduction in theft cases in trains,” the GM added.
Major Initiatives
Wi-Fi provided at 59 stations, including more than in 20 tribal areas
Automatic sanitary napkin vending machines installed at Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road, Visakhapatnam and Sambalpur
Solar power plant at Visakhapatnam
Four green corridors - Cuttack-Paradip, Jakhapura-Nayagarh, Khurda-Nayagarh and Kottavalasa-Koraput completed
Khurda-Puri green corridor by June
Loaded more than 150 MT freight for four consecutive years