VISAKHAPATNAM: Elaborate arrangements have been made for the golden jubilee celebrations of the India’s largest Loco Shed - Visakhapatnam Diesel Loco Shed. The VDLS, Waltair, was established in 1965 and started its operations on May 2 in the undivided South Eastern Railway. It is the only loco shed serving the needs of East Coast Railway after the trifurcation of the SER in 2003.
Its covered area accommodates 32 locomotives at a time. The service building has spread over 14,645 Sq.Mts, for maintenance of locos. The shed also houses a diesel training centre for staff. At present there are about 2,000 people working there.
According to senior divisional commercial manager M Yelvender Yadav, VDLS has been earning considerable income by undertaking maintenance activities of major schedules and component overhauling for RITES, RINL, VPT, and NMDC. To cater to the maintenance of the increased fleet of HHP locomotives, work for its capacity augmentation at a cost of Rs 53 crore was sanctioned this year, Yadav informed.