Ahmedabad, Sep 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will on Sunday inaugurate, lay the foundation stones for and flag off a series of railway projects worth more than Rs 1,542 crore at Sabarmati, including the country’s first LNG-powered train, the Kavach automatic train protection system and a Rs 700-crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State Darshana Vaghela, MPs Hasmukh Patel and Dinesh Makwana, Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot and MLAs from the Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar areas are among those scheduled to attend the programme on September 27.
The projects cover railway safety, signalling, freight capacity, alternative fuel use and line capacity.
The programme will include the inauguration of the WAG-12 Sabarmati Locomotive Maintenance Shed and automatic block signalling on sections of the Ahmedabad Division, the foundation stone for Kavach on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur and Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali sections, and the doubling of the 21-km Sabarmati-Sarkhej railway line.
The LNG-powered train is being introduced after two 1,400 HP Driving Power Cars (DPCs) at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot were converted to a diesel-plus-LNG dual-fuel system.
Both DPCs have completed more than 2,000 km of field trials. The system lets the same engine run on both diesel and LNG. Under the project, LNG can replace up to around 40 per cent of diesel use.
According to trial data provided by the Railways, one DPC could save around Rs 11.9 lakh annually, while an eight-coach rake could save around Rs 23.9 lakh a year.
A separate railway release on the LNG train estimates annual savings of around Rs 25 lakh per DPC based on trial data. Each DPC has been fitted with an LNG tank with a capacity of around 2,200 litres, capable of holding approximately 850-900 kg of usable LNG.
A full LNG fill is expected to provide enough fuel for around 1,600 km of operation. The dual-fuel system allows the engine to switch between LNG and diesel depending on fuel availability.
The Railways said the system is designed to retain the power, reliability and operational capability of the conventional diesel engine while reducing diesel consumption. It is also expected to lower emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, besides reducing fuel and import-related expenditure.
Alongside the LNG initiative, the Kavach system is being provided over 404 km of railway sections in the Ahmedabad Division at an estimated cost of around Rs 411 crore.
This comprises 157 km of the Ahmedabad-Palanpur section and 247 km of the Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali section.
Kavach is designed to provide automatic train protection, including reducing the risk of head-on and rear-end collisions and preventing trains from exceeding prescribed speed limits.
Its commissioning on the Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali main line has already brought automatic train protection to the block sections covered under the project.
Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) has also been provided over 122.57 km across the Sabarmati-Kalol-Bhandu Motidau and Sabarmati-Sanand-Jakhwada sections at a cost of around Rs 118.83 crore.
The system is intended to maintain safe distances between trains and enable more trains to operate on the same route, thereby increasing line capacity and improving operational efficiency and punctuality.
Another major component is the Sabarmati Locomotive Shed, developed at an estimated cost of around Rs 700 crore for homing and maintaining 300 WAG-12 HHP electric locomotives.
With a capacity of around 12,000 HP, WAG-12 locomotives are designed for hauling heavy and long freight trains.
A Maintenance Service Agreement has been signed between Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited and the Sabarmati Locomotive Shed for maintenance of the 300 locomotives.
Of these, 154 WAG-12 locomotives have already been homed, while the remaining locomotives are planned to be received by 2027-28.
The 21-km Sabarmati-Sarkhej doubling project, estimated to cost around Rs 313.27 crore, is targeted for completion by March 2028.
It covers Sabarmati, Gandhigram, Vastrapur and Sarkhej stations and includes work on 16 minor bridges, 13 road underbridges, one major bridge and six level crossings.
The doubling aims to increase line capacity and facilitate smoother movement of passenger and freight trains, while reducing train detention and operational bottlenecks.
It is also expected to strengthen rail connectivity towards the Sarkhej-Dholera area and support industrial and commercial activity along the corridor.
Source: IANS
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