To decongest Rly corridors, twoRoRs planned in CR’s Ngp Divn
| Date :31-Oct-2022 |
By Sagar Mohod
Keeping in sync with evolving times, Indian Railways is adopting modern ways to chart its way into new millennia by opting for elevated corridors on its congested routes. The twin advantage of Rail over Rail (RoR), as it is known, will help the national carrier to boost its track capacity for accommodating additional traffic and secondly it will be able to cut down delays. In the region, Central Railway has identified two spots, one of Grand Trunk route and other on Mumbai-Howrah route, for the construction of RoR.
These two spots are chosen as same involves surface criss-crossing that is leading to detention of trains. With RoR Railway officials said one additional route would be commissioned that will automatically eliminate the criss-crossing that causes the detention in the first place. Since tracks for either direction would get separated it would allow simultaneous movement of the trains.
For example the RoR on Nagpur-Sewagram-Wardha route will tide over current problem being faced at Chitoda crossing on the GT route. At the spot, trains are getting entangled as two separate routes get split from Sewagram, one heading towards Southern India and other one towards the Mumbai direction. Currently, the trains are getting jumbled up resulting in longer detention on the track which invariably slows down speed.
With RoR, the movement of trains would get separated and avoid detention of enroute trains on Nagpur-Wardha section, which is among the busiest section of Indian Railways. This will also enable operations to tide over problem at Chitoda crossing where permissible speed is still capped at 30 km/hr. Once RoR, possibly of steel girders, is put in place it would segregate the trains moving towards Wardha and heading to Western direction as they would move on elevated path. At the same time, line would be clear for train coming towards Nagpur from Wardha end. This would eliminate adjusting trains moving in from Chitoda towards Nagpur and vice-versa, explained Railway officials familiar with the project.
Right now whenever a train is to be allowed in from Chitoda towards Nagpur direction, the rail route of Sewagram-Wardha used to get automatically locked to avoid clash in the middle.
Godhni: Second spot identified for RoR also falls under Nagpur Division and same is at Godhni-Bharatwada section on New Delhi route. The problem in this section is that trains coming from Howrah direction mix-up with Delhi bound trains and to segregate their movement the elevated corridor is planned.
At present the goods train coming from Bilaspur direction by-pass Nagpur and head towards Godhni yard and then move onto chord line towards the Koradi and Khaparkheda power stations. Since the speed of loaded coal laden goods train is quite slow, the incoming trains from Delhi side towards Nagpur used to get stalled on the outer signal till the goods trains has cleared the path.
With the RoR, the elevated crossover is planned for goods trains coming in from Bilaspur direction, maximum coal is mined in SECL mines, to help them land onto Chord line. Nearly half hour timing savings would be possible due to RoR. Officials had also thought of an underpass from Bharatwada to Godhni towards Nagpur side. However the idea was dropped of as same was not found to be suitable and would have involved increased maintenance and during rainy season it might also got flooded.