Ponmalai railway workshop to undertake VB maintenance
According to an official communication, Ponmalai GoC workshop will undertake major schedules (SS-I) of maintenance of Vande Bharat trains. This means primary, secondary and major maintenance in VB rakes including wheel and axle examination and routine cleaning work can be taken up at Ponmalai. Acknowledging the development, GoC chief workshop manager Santosh Kumar Patro said a comprehensive facility is proposed within the workshop, equipped with modern provisions, to maintain even the sleeper versions of VB rakes.
The facility will be designed to meet the needs for the next 15 years. "We will create maintenance infrastructure to handle 24 rakes, though presently VB trains have only 16 rakes. A detailed proposal will be sent to our headquarters for approval," Patro told TOI. Initially, the workshop management reserved 30 acres of land for the maintenance facility, which is likely to come up with two pit lines measuring 600 metres in length. A layout ensuring flexibility has been prepared for the facility to serve as maintenance yard for all VB trains operated by Southern Railway.
"VB rakes require comprehensive maintenance once in 18 months. Providing a maintenance option at Ponmalai workshop could very well help the region to get more premium trains," Trichy MP Durai Vaiko said. Presently, Tirunelveli-Egmore, Nagercoil-Egmore, and Madurai-Bengaluru are three VB trains running via Trichy, among 11 operated by Southern Railway. The new development has also revived the demand to operate new VB trains, one between Trichy and Chennai via Thanjavur. "Trichy is the only division in Southern Railway that does not have an originating VB train despite having
Ponmalai railway workshop
. Major revenue of the division comes from the mainline, but no premium trains are considered in this route. We expect the situation to change at least now," R Revanthkumar, Thanjavur District Railway Users Association, said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Ngp-Pune Vande Bharat Oversubscribed, Waiting List Crosses 150 for Sunday Journey
Nagpur: The newly launched Vande Bharat Express, connecting Nagpur and Pune, has turned into a runaway success within days of its introduction, with waiting lists already exceeding 150 for Sunday. A TOI check of the booking status revealed that the Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat Express had a staggering waiting list of 153 passengers in chair car (CC) class by Saturday evening, while Tuesday's service already had 33 people on the waitlist. Executive chair car (ECC) tickets also showed a waiting list. The service does not operate on Mondays. The ECC seat costs around ₹3,815—higher than even many AC first-tier fares in sleeper trains on the route. The overwhelming response has even outshone older Vande Bharat services from Nagpur. The Nagpur–Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express had a waiting list of 61 for Sunday and 19 for Monday, while the Nagpur–Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express, which offers greater seating capacity than the Nagpur–Pune train, had no waiting list at all. Seat availability stood at 401 and 750 in chair cars for Sunday and Monday, respectively. The earnings, too, reflect this surge in popularity. In just the first two days of operation, the Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat clocked an impressive revenue of ₹18.60 lakh, with occupancy levels crossing 134% when accounting for waiting list bookings. A railway official confirmed that the train has been running at near-full capacity since its launch and is expected to continue doing so during the upcoming festive season. Passenger accounts also highlight the train's significance during peak travel days. "Many people came for Rakhi and stayed back because of the Independence Day long weekend. The Vande Bharat is proving to be a boon in this situation. In the coming festive season, it will play an important role for travellers," said Aniket Pawar, a techie from Wardha currently working in Pune. Day | CC | ECC Sunday | 163 WL | 27 WL | Tuesday | 33 WL | 11 WL | Wednesday | 138 A | 3 A | Thursday | 250 A | 10 A | Friday | 274 A | 2 A | Saturday | 212 A | 5 A | **Total Coaches:** 8 **Total Seats:** 530 **Total Chair Car:** 478 (Rs2,140 per seat) **Total Executive Chair Car:** 52 (Rs3,815 per seat) Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Vande Bharat Sleeper: Titagarh Rail Systems to launch prototype train by September 2026
Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains: The Ministry of Railways is working in full swing to scale up the production of Vande Bharat Sleeper train in the country. This new modern train aims at transforming the long-distance travel in the country. It will further redefine the overnight journeys in the days to come. The national transporter awarded the contract to manufacture Vande Bharat Sleeper trains to three companies: BEML, Kinet Railway Solutions (a Joint Venture between Russian rolling stock major TMH and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited – RVNL) and a consortium of Titagarh Rail Systems Limited and Bharat Heavy Engineering Limited (BHEL). 'The company expects to complete the production of the prototype train of 16 cars by Q2 of FY 27 and continue with series production thereafter in terms of the contract,' the company said in an exchange filing. It further added that the design phase of Vande Bharat Sleeper train project is in the final stage of completion. 'The Company is in advanced stages of completion of design phase of the project and has set up the complete car body production line for the Vande Bharat coaches in its plant in Uttarpara and started the production of the first car body during Q1FY26,' it said in a regulatory filing. The company will manufacture 80 Vande Bharat train sets. It also stated that the total order book of Vande Bharat trains (supply portion) amounts to Rs 9,600 crore, representing 1,280 coaches of which the company's share of the consortium was 51 per cent, amounting to Rs 4,943 crore. Meanwhile, Railways has planned to launch the country's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train next month. This train has been developed by BEML with ICF technology.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Digital transactions in passenger ticketing gets a boost in Palakkad Division, says DRM Madhukar Roat
Divisional Railway Manager of Southern Railway's Palakkad Division Madhukar Roat on Friday, August 15, said digital transactions in passenger ticket booking has grown to 70% in the reserved segment while it has reached 50% in the unreserved ticket booking. Delivering the Independence Day address at the Divisional headquarters in Palakkad, Mr. Roat said 101 automatic ticket vending machines with 212 facilitators in 26 stations, including Mangaluru Central, account for 66% of unreserved ticket booking while unreserved ticketing system (UTS) on mobile accounts for 11% of tickets bought. Improved earnings Mr. Roat said gross earnings from originating revenue up to July 2025 stood at ₹598 crore, up by 3% compared to ₹580 crore last year. Capital expenditure reached ₹230 crore, showing a 45.56% increase compared to last year — a clear indicator of investment in infrastructure and services. Passenger revenue stood at ₹353 crore, reflecting a 6% growth over the same period last year, he added. Up to July 2025, the division carried 29.33 million passengers against the target of 27.42 million, surpassing it by 7%. Highlighting the division's progress over the past year, including station redevelopment works at 16 locations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Mr. Roat said Mahe and Vadakara were already inaugurated and five more stations were set for completion next month. The division maintained a punctuality rate of 94% and recorded zero consequential accidents, supported by rigorous safety measures. Freight loading exceeded targets, new train services were launched and several existing trains were extended or augmented to meet passenger demand. Passenger amenities saw significant upgrades, including lifts, escalators, air-conditioned waiting halls, advanced ticketing facilities, and digital service enhancements. In sustainability, 628 kWp of solar power was installed and a 1,700 kWp solar plant was planned, expected to save over ₹1 crore annually. Infrastructure improvements, including complete track renewal between Walayar and Palakkad, replacement of over 3,800 steel channel sleepers, and bridge rehabilitation have strengthened safety and operational efficiency. The Railway Protection Force enhanced passenger security through initiatives like Meri Saheli and Operation Amanat, assisting over 34,000 women passengers, recovering property worth ₹1.74 crore and seizing narcotics valued at ₹4.09 crore.
