Railways use thick web switches on tracks for high speed

BHOPAL: The Bhopal railway division is using thick web switches concept on its under construction third railway line in a bid to gain speed upto 130 km per hour. The term thick web switches most commonly refer to a new design of sturdier switches on pre-stressed concrete sleepers, which can handle higher speeds.

DRM Uday Borwanker said that the Bhopal railway division is gradually working to increase the speed of the trains passing through the division. “The thick web switch is a step to achieve that target,” said Borwanker. He added that despite the lockdown the railway employees and officials worked tirelessly so that the routine operation should not be affected. He visited the site where the third railway line work is under construction near Obaidullahganj station. The construction of the third railway line is being done by the Railway Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). Borwanker also instructed the officials to strictly follow the Covid norms like social distancing and others.

Railway officials said that the objective of the division is to achieve 160 km per hour speed of the trains. Notably, the thick web switch work from Bina to Bhopal has been completed. In all 71such web switches are to be laid in the Itarsi block and seven have been fixed. The speed of trains passing through Bhopal division was streamlined to 110 km per hours last year which has made the duration of trains through this route cut short by almost 10-15 minutes. Trains running between Khandwa-Bhopal block have maintained a speed of 110kmph speed. For Bhopal-Khandwa block, the railways wanted to achieve 130kmph speed by this year.