Bullet train tracks

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

Mamata to flag off first 'Duranto' train on Sept 1...Railways need more than 4500 coaches each yrMamata to discuss Rail Budget proposals with PMRailways to pursue bullet train project

New Delhi, Feb 12: 152 years after that first train ride on April 16, 1853, Indian Railways plans to run ‘bullet trains’ — first from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and, next, between Chennai and Bangalore.

It’s taken so long because of the rail track. Till 1993-94, the standard for steel used in manufacturing rails used to be UTS 72 (unit tensile strength of 72 kg/mm) which elongated upto 14% under stress. This required fish-plate joints at rail ends so that the elongation under the heat and pressure of a running train didn’t bend the rail track.

However, there were more fish-plate joints than desired, because the wagons (Sherpa wagons with elevated ends) of Indian Railways could not carry more than 13 m long rails. Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), the sole indigenous manufacturer and supplier of rails to Indian Railways till August last year has been manufacturing (and still makes) 13-m long rails.

While too many fish-plate joints and low UTS rails caused restricted train speed and more wheel noise, it also led to higher maintenance work and hence cost for the Railways. Smaller rail panels also took more time to lay per kilometre.

Though BSP graduated to and has been manufacturing the international standard UTS 90 grade steel (with 10% elongation) for rails since 1991-92, it has started manufacturing 78-m long rails from September 2004 from its newly installed Rs 320-cr finishing plant at Rail and Structural Mill.

In February 2002, the Union railway ministry had entered into an MoU with the Steel Authority of India for procuring these long rails from BSP.

Meanwhile, the Railways plunged into guage conversion (remember the ‘one country, one guage’ campaign?) and track modernisation by welding the rail ends instead of using fish-plates. “This is a special welding, called Flash Butt Welding in which the rail ends to be joined are fused into each other by electric charges,” explains Achal Khare, executive director, track (procurement), Rail Board. “Till recently most welding work had to be done on-track and would cost the Railways anything between Rs 600 and Rs 1,000. So, we were looking to replace the old 13-m rails with 78-m. Not only will the long rails require fewer welded joints per kilometer, they will reduce maintenance cost, wheel noise and track friction. Trains can run faster on long rails.”