KOCHI: State's long-cherished dream of getting an electric loco shed will soon come to fruition, with trial runs being conducted at the shed to ascertain the readiness of the facility. The electrification work at the shed, located at the Ernakulam Junction Railway station, has been carried out at a cost of `75 lakh.
According to a railway official, the shed is likely to be operational within January 10. “All the work associated with the electrification, which was carried out by a team of engineers from the Tiruchirappalli electric loco shed, has been completed. It is believed that the facility will be ready to receive its first engine in a day or two,” he said.
The electric shed in Ernakulam will be able to repair up to 1.5 times more locomotives than the diesel shed. The diesel shed can currently cater to 60 diesel engines at a time. “Unlike diesel ones, electric engines need not be maintained frequently. The former has to be mandatorily checked for repairs once in every 15 days,” said the official.