New Delhi, October 9: For the first time, Indian Railways has operated a long-haul Train formed by clubbing together 3 Goods trains into one. According to a statement by the South Central Railway zone, the long haul train, named as ‘Trishul’ to indicate clubbing of 3 trains together as one, was formed at Vijayawada and operated as a single train upto Duvvada - the last station bordering South Central Railways jurisdiction.
The initiative was taken by the national transporter to speed up the operation of freight trains so that the wagons that are empty can be transported to their loading point in the least possible time.
Such initiatives help Indian Railways meet customer demands, expeditiously. For example, the zonal railway said it helps in expeditiously meeting the demand of the power houses for Coal. This in turn helps in reducing Wagon Turnaround time too, so that in a shorter time period, empty wagons are available for each loading journey.
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Additionally, clubbing of 3 trains into 1, reduces manpower need. They can be utilized for other train operations when there is heavy movement of train services, said the zonal railway. Running of 3 different trains as a single train saves path for operating other trains in the section. This will help in saturated sections like Vijayawada – Vishakhapatnam section, where there is continuous movement of Freight and Passenger trains.
Another advantage of running trains in this way is reduced en route detention of train. As a result of this, it enhances the train’s operational efficiency, thereby not just improving average speed of the train but also minimizing its running time between sections. According to South Central Railways, Trishul was operated at an average speed of about 50 kmph. The long-haul train consisted of 176 wagons and is meant for loading of freight customers.