HUBBALLI: The South Western Railway (SWR) has bagged ‘Efficiency Shield in civil engineering’ for 2018-19. The national level award is instituted by the Railway Board. The shield will be presented by Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal at a function to be held in Mumbai in the third week of July.
In civil engineering construction, the SWR has done an outstanding job in completion of new projects. In the SWR, 227-km of railway track has been doubled in the last fiscal. The progress of doubling was much higher and faster compared to the national average, SWR chief public relation officer E Vijaya stated in a press release.
In 2018-19, the SWR has commissioned 27-km Wandal-Mulvad line and 32-km Jamnal-Minchnal track (both part of Hotgi-Kudagi-Gadag new railway track), 36-km Arsikere-Karadi (Arsikere-Tumakuru), 37-km Chikjajur-Tolahunse line (Hubballi - Chikjajur) and 36-km Makalidurga-Devarapalli line (Yelahanka-Penukonda.
Of the 352-km Hosapete-Vasco line doubling project, 69-km has been completed between Devrayi-Shivathan, Koppal-Munirabad, Annigeri-Binkadakatti and Alnavar-Devrayi in the last year. Vijaya said in terms of target, the SWR is the best among zonal railways to have achieved the highest percentage. The material management department, which procures and supplies all materials required for various activities across the zone in addition to the responsibility of sale of scrap, has also won efficiency shield.