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The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Golden Rock Railway Workshop to create facilities to maintain Vande Bharat trainsets
The Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Tiruchi is gearing up to create additional infrastructure as it has been nominated by the Railway Board to carry out maintenance of Vande Bharat trainsets. With the Board advising the General Manager, Southern Railway, to plan for the development of infrastructure and testing facilities, authorities here are drawing up a plan for the purpose on an outlay of about ₹300 crore in the first phase. Established during the British rule, the workshop is a premier railway establishment engaged in multifarious activities including periodic overhaul of broad gauge diesel locos and passenger coaches, manufacture of steam locomotives for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and producing freight and container wagons. 'We have been nominated to carry out all SSI and major scheduled maintenance of Vande Bharat coaches. Accordingly, we are drawing a plan to create the infrastructure that would entail an investment of about ₹300 crore in the first phase,' Santosh Kumar Patro, Chief Workshop Manager, Golden Rock Railway Workshop, told The Hindu. The plan would include building a couple of pit lines of 600 metres each and a heavy repair shop with a 35 tonne capacity crane to lift the Vande Bharat coaches. 'Although Vande Bharat trains are operated here with six coaches only now, we plan to create facilities to handle rakes with 24 coaches, providing for the possibility of introduction of sleeper coaches in future,' Mr. Patro added. The facility would include other necessary units such as wheel and paint shops. 'The facilities would come up on on about 30 acres. The detailed plan would be submitted to our headquarters within a month or two for approval,' he said. The Railway Board's move is expected to give a fillip to the development of the Golden Rock workshop. Tiruchi MP Durai Vaiko welcomed the decision to nominate the GOC to carry out maintenance of Vande Bharat coaches and create the necessary infrastructure, which was until now available only in Perambur, Chennai. 'This is an important development and I eagerly await the day when the move will come to fruition,' he said.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ponmalai railway workshop to undertake VB maintenance
Trichy: Railway Board has nominated Golden Rock railway workshop (Ponmalai GoC) in Trichy to conduct maintenance and overhauling of Vande Bharat (VB) rakes in place of Perambur workshop, Chennai. The workshop has prepared a preliminary estimate at Rs300 crore in the first phase to develop a comprehensive facility on 30 acres to maintain the rakes. 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.
