Indian Railways - A Massive Exercise in Operations
- Arpit Shah
- Dec 31, 2021
- 35 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Background
A majority of my posts on this professional website as of today (31st December 2021) focus on GIS and Location Analytics. After all, the scope of Mapping is extensive, there are numerous Real-world Applications, and Remote Sensing is one mega-interesting field by itself. Therefore, I felt the need to write more on the Ops side of Mapmyops i.e. on Operations. I believe and espouse that to unlock significant value on a day-to-day basis, organizations need to become operationally savvier. This holds particularly true for Indian-origin businesses who strive to become globally competitive.
My last post for the year 2021 will focus on 21 operational aspects that makes our beloved Indian Railways tick. Not only is Indian Railways a giant in terms of scale of operations (4th largest Rail Network in the world and the largest employer and property owner in the country) but also it is emblematic in multiple ways of our nation's difficult past and promising future. While Public Transit has always been dear to me and I've written on this topic previously, none of the modes strike my imagination as much as Railways do. Particularly in a country like ours where, within a couple of hours of travelling in a bustling chhuk-chhuk gaadi (sound made by the bygone steam locomotives), one is sure to encounter multiple cultures, languages, weather, sights and savouries.
Having recently finished watching the fascinating YouTube playlist on Indian Railways by Khan GS Research Centre, I feel that while it is routinely maligned for delays and poor service, Indian Railways is also a massive and complex exercise in Operations where multiple parts need to come together and synchronize perfectly in order to deliver a successful outcome. To raise awareness about this, and about the significant projects that have been undertaken recently to usher in a future-ready railway network are the motives behind writing this post.
While I have tried to lend a loose structure to the narrative (as indicated below), I would suggest that you read the 21 operational aspects about Indian Railways sequentially.
Hyperlinks to Sections
1. Understanding the Naming System of Locomotives
What do the alphanumeric characters on the locomotive in Figure 1 mean?
WDG stands for Wide gauge, Diesel-operated Goods train. The 4 implies it being the 4th Generation locomotive in its class and can also be indicative of the locomotive having a 4000 HP engine. Suppose the letter D was present at the end i.e. 4D, then it would imply being a 4400 HP locomotive (D being the 4th letter of alphabet would translate to 4 x 100 = 400). Similarly, 4F would mean 4600 HP, and so on.
That being said, this power output referencing is not applicable for all types of locomotives - for example, the newest class of locomotives being manufactured by Indian Railways (as of 2021) is the WAG-12B and its power output is 12000 HP (not 12200 HP). WAG-12B is a Made-in-India upgrade to the imported WAG-12A locomotives and is being built in collaboration with French multinational Alstom at the Electric Locomotive Factory in Madhepura, Bihar.
The second set comprising 5 digits - 12706 in Figure 1 - is the Serial Number of the locomotive. Earlier, there used to be a method to arrive at this number, but now it confounds interpretation. That being said, the Serial Number is linked to the depot where the locomotive was built - it has to go back there when in need of maintenance.
There are Diesel and Alternating Current variants in all the four types of Locomotives that operate on Broad Gauge in Indian Railways-
While you would be familiar with the Passenger and Goods/Freight types, Shunting refers to those type of locomotives that move Passenger and Freight rakes for activities such as attachment, detachment, sequencing and separation. Typically, the shunting activity is done within the confines of a Railway Station or a Railway Yard.
2. Understanding the Naming System of Rakes
A Rake/Railcar of a Passenger train is called a Coach and its naming system typically comprises of 5 digits, as depicted in Figure 3. The first two numbers - the prefix - represents the year in which the coach was built - 04 stands for 2004. In some cases, it can also be interpreted as the year in which the coach was rebuilt or the year when it was transferred to that Zonal Railway.
The next three numbers - the suffix - refers to the category of the Coach. The number 052 in Figure 3 falls in the 1-200 range - this belongs to Air-Conditioned Coaches, the highest class of passenger rakes in Indian Railways. Just in case you are wondering, WCR indicates that the coach is assigned to the West Central Railway Zone.
Similarly, the suffix 296 in Figure 4, by virtue of falling in the 201-400 range, belongs to the next class of passenger rakes - the Sleeper Coach.
The 437 suffix in Figure 5 denotes the next class of passenger rakes - the General Class Coach - as it falls in the 401 - 600 range. You would infer from the prefix that this Coach was built in 2008.
The other classes of Coaches are-
601-700 for Chair Car Coaches,
701-800 for Seating cum Luggage Coaches 800+ for Pantry Car or Mail Service or Generator Van class of Coaches.
Interesting, isn't it?
Next, I'll move on to the Naming System of Wagons - these are the rakes pulled by Freight locomotives.
The BCN Wagon in Figure 6 represents Box Cover with Pneumatic Brakes. Since these rakes are covered on top, they are useful to carry materials that need protection from rainfall, sunlight, open air and pilferage (example - Food Grains, Cement).
The BOXN Wagon in Figure 7 stands for Box Open with Pneumatic Brakes. These rakes are typically used to transfer commodities of low value that are unlikely to be affected by exposure to rainfall, sunlight, air or pilferage (example - Sand, Stone, Coal).
This BTPN Wagon (Figure 8) stands for Box Tanker for Petrol with Pneumatic Brakes. These are used to transport Fuels, Chemicals and Perishable liquids.
Other common categories of Freight rakes are-
BOB: Bogie Open Bottom Wagons - used to deposit ballast on side of tracks
BLC: Bogie Low Platform Container Wagons - used to transport shipping containers
BRN: Bogie Open Flat Wagons - used to transport military equipment
Ro-Ro: Roll on - Roll off Wagons - used to transport vehicles
NMG - New Modified Wagons - old Passenger Coaches repurposed into covered Wagons (BCN type).
3. Understanding some of the Indicators used for Train Safety
Alarm Chain Pulling (ACP) light on the exterior of a coach is meant to alert the Train staff and Government Railway Police (GRP) in particular who can quickly identify the Passenger Coach from where the alarm chain was pulled from and take responsive action.
2. Sandbox - Attached at the bottom of the locomotive, this equipment stores Sand and can spray it on wet tracks upon activation by the loco-pilot. Performing this activity helps generate friction which prevents Wheel Slips & Wheel Slides. Slips and Slides are influenced by Adhesive Weight (the weight on the wheels), which in turn is influenced by the haulage load and the weight and power output of the engine.
3. 27-Pin Control Cable: Two or more Locomotives are typically used to haul a train to ensure safety on routes with high gradient (slope) and/or when additional force is needed to haul due to a heavy load. This High Voltage jumper cable (as depicted in Figure 11) allows the loco-pilot of the lead locomotive to take complete control of all the control functions of the trailing locomotive, thereby eliminating the need of having a second loco-pilot.
4. Undercarriage Examiner with HD Cameras: You may have witnessed Railway staff flash their torchlights underneath the rakes as a train approaches and halts at a station. This is done to inspect any damage to suspension and braking equipment. Indian Railways is transitioning to automated HD Cameras for more accurate undercarriage inspection amd for sharing a real-time feed to the concerned authorities in the endeavor to make train journeys safer.
5. Flasher Light (yellow light in Figure 13) This light blinks 35-45 times a minute and serves to alert approaching loco-pilots as far as two kilometers away. It is turned on when the loco-pilot wants to caution the loco-pilot of an approaching train about an emergency situation or during adverse weather conditions such as dense fog.
6. Marker Lights (white lights in Figure 13) are used so that an approaching loco-pilot gets to know the direction in which the train is moving - white light signals that the train is moving forward while red light implies the opposite. These lights are present on the front and rear of the train.
4. OHE Pole Signage
Despite all the automation available at our disposal, the reliance on human intelligence will never cease. Consider the signage on the OHE pole (the pole supporting the overhead electric equipment) depicted in Figure 14 which you may have observed several times on your train journeys without realizing its purpose.
The number 388 signifies the number of kilometers that have elapsed from the nearest major city on the main line that you are travelling on (or the distance from the nearest main line if the train is on a branch line).
The number 6 signifies the pole number in that particular kilometer. Typically, poles are spaced at intervals of 50 metres i.e. 20 poles in a kilometer. So the number 6 signifies that the pole is 300 meters into that kilometer-stretch. The neon numbering facilitates viewing at night or during foggy conditions.
Pole numbers are useful for a couple of purposes-
It enables the loco-pilot, railway staff or passengers to convey the position of an accident/fallen items/irregularities/track damage/emergency to the concerned authorities such as GRP
Loco-pilots are routinely supplied with Caution Lists on their journey which capture the pole numbers where maintenance work is currently ongoing. This list, as the name suggests, serves as prior intimation to maintain caution on that particular stretch of the journey
5. Freight Trains aren't longer than Passenger Trains!
After years of travelling on the window seat of a train and marveling at the sight of the seemingly unending freight trains ambling past, I was astounded to know that the length of both, freight trains and passenger trains, is capped at 650 metres. The logic is straightforward - the length of the train cannot exceed the length of the platform which is also capped at 650 metres (the platform adjacent to the loop line is capped at 750 metres). While some railway platforms are exceptions to this British-era capping - such as those at Kharagpur and Gorakhpur which are among the longest in the world and erected so due to space constraints for horizontal expansion, it is imperative that unless all major stations on a route increase their platform lengths, running longer trains is not feasible.
This is exactly the reason why the only option available for Indian Railways during holiday season is to increase the number and/or frequency of passenger trains - the option to increase the number of coaches is usually not available as the trains are already 650 metres-long. A positive development is, in order ease the congestion on specific routes, the Indian Railways has decided to increase the length of the loop line on all the stations to accommodate longer trains.
So what causes this visual fallacy (Freight trains perceived to be much longer)?
One of the reasons could be purely arithmetical - the length of a Wagon in a Freight train (10 metres for BOXN wagons and 15 metres for BCN wagons) is much smaller than the length of a Coach in a Passenger train (24 metres for LHB). Hence, while Passenger trains on popular routes typically have as many as 24 rakes, Freight trains have as many as 64 Wagons which is what could mislead us into believing that Freight trains are much longer.
The other reason I could think of is psychological - Freight trains typically don't run at fast speeds (their average speeds are ~24 km/hour). Therefore, coupled with the fact that Freight trains have more Wagons, it also takes longer for them to pass by us than it takes for a similar-length Passenger train (whose average speeds are ~50 km/hour). This serves to reinforce our false perception.
Incredible, isn't it?
6. General Order of Precedence of Trains
You may have wondered at some point-
Why are other trains that are behind me allowed to proceed first?
Why do some trains always get late?
There are several factors that cause train delays - equipment failures, line and terminal congestion, adverse weather, miscreant activity, accidents involving cattle or humans, among others. Train schedules are set and managed by Railway Control Centres whose operations are confidential (you can catch a glimpse of how they operate here). Besides scheduling, rapid response to emerging situations is also one of its key functions.
When a delay occurs on an already-congested railway network, the schedules of two or more trains could easily coincide. In such a situation, there is a General Order of Precedence protocol in place, denoted from highest to lowest priority below-
Onward Accident Relief trains carrying medical equipment and relief goods to disaster sites
President and VVIP Special trains transporting government dignitaries and state guests
Rush-hour Commuter/Suburban trains transporting daily travellers to work
Super-fast Express trains - these passenger trains have high average speeds and typically operate on long routes. Preferential protocols exists for sub-classes in this category as well: Rajdhani → Shatabdi → Duronto → Tejas → Garib Rath → Double Decker → Jan-Shatabdi Express
Express and Mail trains - these have lower average speeds than super-fast express
Military Personnel Special trains carrying armed forces to and from their posting location
Fast Passenger trains - these typically operate on medium distance routes and with less halts
Festival Special trains - these operate during holiday season on popular routes
Passenger trains - these operate on short to medium distance routes and halt at all stations
Mixed Trains - which have both, passenger coaches and freight wagons attached
Military Stores Special transporting equipment for the armed forces
Express and Special Goods trains with less stops and/or are carrying perishable/expensive goods
All other types of Freight trains
Returning Accident Relief trains
Shunting locomotives which help in moving passenger/freight rakes at railways stations/yards
Departmental trains which transport railway maintenance workers, equipment and workshops
Would you like to shuffle this order in any way? Feel free to share your feedback.
Indian Railway Network is divided into 16 Geographic Zones (as of 2021) where each zone is administered by a Zonal Headquarter. Based on the geographic zone where it commences or concludes its journey, every train is assigned to a particular Zonal Headquarter. For example, 12859 Up and 12860 Down Gitanjali Express that traverses between the cities of Mumbai and Kolkata is assigned to the South Eastern Railways zone (SER Zonal HQ is in Kolkata) - Up signals that the train is travelling towards its Zonal (or Divisional) Headquarter and Down signals the opposite.
As is common in State-owned enterprises, internal power politics influences Indian Railways operations too. For example, when your train is travelling through its native geographic zone, there is every possibility that it will be favored over other trains from other Zonal Headquarters if a scheduling conflict arises.
7. Why Passenger trains typically halt for 20 minutes at major stations
Besides the fact that there are many passengers boarding and deboarding at a large urban centre, trains also need to perform technical halts to perform maintenance checks, cleaning services, pantry supplies, addition or removal of extra locomotives, and so on. One such operational constraint is the Watering System - as soon as a train halts at these stations, the railway staff insert a water pipe jutting out of the 4-inch metal pipe running parallel to the loop line into the area of the coach labelled as Side-filling and it takes as much as 20 minutes to refill an empty tank to full capacity (up to 1800 litres).
While water availability is critical for the comfort of the passengers, there is also an urgent need to decongest the station, especially at such major centres. Due to space shortage, it is generally not possible to add new platforms. Hence, the most feasible way to decongest terminal operations is by processing the trains faster enabling them to arrive and depart in less time. Indian Railways is intending to reduce the maximum halt time to 10 minutes and in order to do so, it would need to literally double its efficiency across all its weakest technical parameters, one of the main bottlenecks being the Watering System.
The proposed solution is (surprise!) a Quick Watering System. Gradually being rolled out at select stations since 2019, it reduces the time taken to refill a coach to 5 minutes. This is made possible by-
increasing the diameter of the metal pipe to 6 inches
increasing the pressure of water supply using more powerful 40 HP motors
using SCADA to automate the flow controls
Moreover, it will now be mandatory for long distance trains to refill their water tanks every 300-400 kilometers of their journey - this will reduce the quantity of refill at major centres besides enhancing traveller comfort throughout the journey.
8. Electricity & Trains - A friend in need is a friend indeed
Electrical equipment plays a vital role in ensuring the Indian Railways functions round-the-clock and reliably. Below are some interesting aspects-
All locomotives actually run on electricity. Electric locomotives source electric current directly from the Over Head Electrical equipment (OHE) to power the engine's traction motor whereas Diesel locomotives have generators which convert the fuel into electricity, which is then supplied to the engine's traction motor
Around 46,000 kms or 71% of India's Broad Gauge Railway Network has been electrified as of 31st March 2021 - allowing the energy-efficient electric locomotives to operate in these areas. That being said, the use of Diesel locomotives would never be completely eliminated - they are used in sensitive regions such as international border areas where the sabotage of electrical lines would be detrimental to men and material movement as well as for shunting purposes where the use of electrical locomotives that constantly change tracks could trigger electrical complications in the Over Head Electrical Equipment (OHE)
The erstwhile ICF coaches used in Indian Railways had a Dynamo attached to each rake which enabled them to generate their own electricity. The LHB coach in use today sources its electricity from the Generator Van located at either/both ends of the train. Besides the fact that it was capital-intensive to install a dynamo in each rake, the change in rake design was made as the increased weight from the dynamos made the locomotive use more fuel to haul the train. Indian Railways now intends to move on from the Generator Vans too. Instead, each rake will source its own electricity (for the fans, lights, air-conditioning, charging points etc. within) from the Over Head Electrical Equipment directly using Head On Generation technology. It is estimated that Indian Railways will save INR 30/unit through this upgrade (INR 36/unit cost in Generator Van versus INR 6/unit cost in HOG) - this translates to a whopping INR 1400 crores of savings annually. And instead of two (noisy) Generator Vans, only one will be attached to each train - to be deployed in emergency situations
Theft of Electrical equipment from within coaches (fans, bulbs, sockets etc) plagued the Indian railways for a very long time. To combat this issue, a nifty alteration was made - the electrical equipment in coaches are now operable only on 110 Volts DC power. The electricity supplied to residents is typically 220 Volts AC - rendering these equipment worthless to thieves!
Outdoor Temperature fluctuations can cause the catenary and messenger wires in the Over Head Electrical equipment to snap from persistent expansion and contraction which would be disruptive to rail operations. The 3-pulley Auto Tensioning Device (ATD) weighing 2000 kilograms helps maintain a continuous 1000 kg tension on each of these two wires. Temperature variations rebalances the force exerted by the ATD, leaving the wires unaffected.
The indigenous Pantograph equipment which transfers electricity to the train from the OHE has its fair share of innovations and utility too. Learn more about it from this video
9. Always-on Braking System
In a bicycle, when pressure is applied by the rider on the brake lever, the brake pads push up against the wheels, generating friction and making the cycle slow down and stop eventually. In trains however, the brake pads are pushing up against the wheels, by default. If the locomotive pilot intends to set the train in motion, he has to divert the air pressure which the air tank is applying on the brake pads to a separate channel called the brake line which separates the brake pads from the wheels allowing the train to move. A fail-safe mechanism, this design enables the train to automatically stop should there be any malfunctioning or leakages in the air-pressure delivery mechanism. Smart, isn't it? The last thing you'd want is for a train's brakes to fail and for it to hurtle towards a catastrophe. This mechanism is not without limitations, though.
10. Passenger Amenities at Railway Station
Just as the experience at a restaurant is not determined by the quality of food alone but through a combination of factors involving ambience, hygiene, service and comfort, the experience of rail travel is determined by a variety of aspects besides the quality of the train itself - an important one being the amenities available at Railway Stations - facilities such as drinking water, clean toilets, comfortable waiting rooms, electrical fixtures, shade and security.
Over the last year, several redeveloped railway stations were inaugurated - Bhopal’s Rani Kamlapati railway station and Gandhinagar railway station to name a couple, and I must admit they look swanky - airport-style ambience, restaurants, lounges, seating areas, modern signages etc.
If your local railway station is Amritsar, Bengaluru (Baiyapanhalli), Chandigarh, Delhi (Anand Vihar and Bijwasan), Gwalior, Jaipur (Gandhi Nagar), Kanpur, Mumbai (Thakurli), Nagpur, Sabarmati, Shivaji Nagar or Surat, then you have reason to rejoice because these are next-in-line for redevelopment under the Indian Railways' Public-Private Partnership (PPP) infrastructure development model.
Whether a Railway Station is to be considered for redevelopment is determined by aspects such as-
age and current condition of the railway station
number of passengers handled
earnings from passengers
special significance of the place (holy site, tourist spot)
the availability of funds with the Zonal/Divisional headquarters
However, did you know that Indian Railways maintains a provisional checklist of Minimum Essential amenities, Recommended amenities and Desirable amenities based on the category of the railway station-
Based on the category of the railway station, it is entitled to receive certain Minimum Essential amenities. For example, close to 2/3rds (~ 6000) of the total Railway Stations in India fall in Non-Suburban category and the Minimum Essential amenities for this category constitutes-
The Recommended amenities include facilities such as extra drinking water taps, larger waiting halls, mobile charging points and nursing cubicles whereas the Desired amenities include facilities such as retiring rooms, ATMs, bookstalls, taxi service and wireless internet. Whether and which premium amenities to install lies at the discretion of the Zonal Railway Headquarter although it is not entirely a subjective decision - metrics such as maximum passenger load per half hour and maximum number of trains processed per half hour are utilized for doing so.
While I am not aware about the presence of a grievance redressal mechanism for passengers if the Minimum Essential amenities are not available/working at a railway station, however, I do know that it is mandatory that the Minimum Essential amenities list, Actual Available amenities list and Other Available amenities list are put on public display at the Station Manager’s office.
11. In-Train Innovations Example 1 - Twin BOBO Bogies
Freight locomotives plying on the developing Dedicated Freight Corridors would need to haul double-stacked containers on longer trains - 10,000 tonnes in total! For context, the average load that is hauled by the WAG locomotives operating on the existing rail network is 3,900 tonnes. Needless to say, this transition will not be possible using the existing freight locomotives as its structural integrity would be compromised increasing the chances of derailment.
Has Indian Railways figured a solution for this?
Yes it has. Let me explain-
This is a wheel Set - 2 wheels connected by an axle.
A bogie (locomotive undercarriage) with 2 axles i.e. 4 wheels is called a Bo.
Bo-Bo locomotives, as the name suggests, have 2 Bo bogies (at the front and back of the locomotive) - this means that there are 4 axles and 8 wheels in total.
A bogie with 3 axles i.e. 6 wheels is called a Co. Thus, Co-Co locomotives use an arrangement of 2 Co bogies, 6 axles and 12 wheels in total, equally divided at the front and back of the locomotive.
The lighter Bo-Bo locomotives are used to haul Passenger trains which need to travel at high average speeds whereas Co-Co locomotives are better-suited to haul the heavy load of Freight trains, albeit slowly. In the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) however, as I had stated earlier, the emphasis is to improve both - the haulage capacity (>2x of current) as well as the average speeds (>3x of current). This necessitated the development of the Twin Bo-Bo design - a Bo-Bo bogie (4 axles and 8 wheels) at the front of the locomotive and the other behind i.e. 8 axles and 16 wheels in total. This arrangement is a mechanical breakthrough that would allow the locomotive to haul the required heavier loads in a safe manner.
Has a locomotive been built that has incorporated this Twin Bo-Bo design?
Yes! (continue to read on)
Besides the heavy load, the freight locomotives would also need to move faster - the target is to achieve an average speed of above 80 kms/hr in the DFCs - this is more than three times the paltry average of 24 kms/hr prevalent on the existing, congested rail network using the currently operational freight locomotives (WAG 5 i.e. 5,000 HP engine with a maximum speed of 105 km/hr being the one most commonly-used). Since there would not be congestion issues in the DFCs in the foreseeable future, one can posit that the average speeds would automatically increase. But if you take into account the enormous increase in haulage load coupled with the increased weight of the locomotive due to the Twin Bo-Bo arrangement (22.5 tonne axle load), this absolutely necessitates the use of more power.
Enter the WAG-12B locomotive - the country's most advanced locomotive till-date, being manufactured in partnership with French major Alstom within India itself. Housing the Twin Bo-Bo bogie arrangement, the WAG-12B locomotive is powered by a 12000 HP engine🤯.
Know more about this marvel from this video.
12. In-Train Innovations Example 2 - Bio-Toilets
What has Psychrophilic bacteria, found in the freezing environs of Antarctica, got to do with Indian Railways?
Quite a lot, incredibly. That these microscopic organisms were able to thrive in such an extreme environment captured the attention of scientists at DRDE laboratory Gwalior (the biochemical research and development wing of Defence Research & Development Organisation) who were working on making the Bio-Digester - an equipment that could biologically degrade human waste emanating from Army bases in high altitude sub-zero regions such as Siachen and Ladakh through anaerobic digestion, where ordinarily, organic matter takes ages to decompose besides being a veritable hotbed for foul smell and pathogens. A study tour to Antarctica resulted in the scientists bringing with them certain subtypes of these bacteria which were subsequently cultured in a lab-environment before being inserted in the Bio-Digester and installed at the test locations. The trials were successful - these bacteria were able to anaerobically degrade human waste into just three constituents - Water, Methane and Carbon Dioxide - in quick time.
Not being ones to rest on their laurels - the scientists saw this as a window of opportunity to solve a larger, more menacing problem - that of human waste disposal in the Indian Railways. Open Discharge and Controlled Discharge on railway tracks was highly unsanitary, spread disease, stenched the environment and corroded the tracks (which resulted in increased scavenging and track-maintenance expenditure for the Railways). With increasing population and resulting increase in passenger traffic, the railway officials were hard-pressed to switch to a reliable and cost-effective alternative. So in 2010, they pledged to become Open Discharge-free and invited applications for innovative solutions. The Bio-Digester Toilet or Bio-Toilet pipped other, globally-utilized, alternatives such as chemical toilets and electrical incineration toilets on Technology (effective and maintenance-free) as well as Cost parameters (INR 100,000 or 1,200 USD per toilet installation) and was awarded the contract to be deployed in the Indian Railways.
As with any new innovation that faces the harshness of reality (literally so, in this case), modifications had to be made to make the Bio-toilet more compatible with the sanitary habits of the average Indian passenger. For example, suction machines were installed at railway yards to suck out non-biodegradable waste that clogged the Biodigester equipment - plastic bottles, cigarette butts, diapers and you-name-it which unassuming passengers continued to dump in the toilet hole thinking it would find its way to the railway tracks (despite stickers instructing otherwise). New Bio-toilets come equipped with Vacuum Flush (as present in aircrafts) in a bid to reduce excessive water usage.
As of March 2021, all the Passenger Coaches in Indian Railways have been equipped with the Bio-Toilet (approximately 2.5 lakh toilets were installed across 74,000 coaches). This innovation prevents nearly 2.75 lakh liters of excreta to be openly discharged every day which helps the Indian Railways save nearly INR 400 crore annually on track maintenance expenditure alone!
13. Dedicated Freight Corridors to transform Freight Logistics in India
The Dedicated Freight Corridors project is Indian Railways' most ambitious endeavour till date. Once the first phase of the project - the Eastern DFC (from Punjab to West Bengal) and Western DFC (from Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra) is completed in March 2022, it will transform freight logistics in the the top-half of the country and serve to decongest the existing rail network allowing the passenger train services to improve and expand its operations.
Freight Operations form the backbone of Indian Railways contributing nearly two-thirds to its annual revenue. Besides fuel, the cost of freight operations are low - wagon maintenance, electricity and manpower expenses are limited. It may not come as a surprise for you to know that Indian Railways' sole significant source of profit is through Freight Logistics - which is subsequently utilized to subsidize (the enormously loss-making) Passenger Ticket fares - nearly half of it!
However as you already know, Freight trains are meted the worst treatment when it comes to scheduling precedence as on-time passengers are given more priority than on-time goods. With the delays and variability adversely impacting business operations, Freight customers turn to road transportation for their material deliveries despite it being significantly more expensive.
As a result, compared to other developing and developed economies, India's share of Rail Logistics to the overall Logistics pie is very low - just 30%. This has unfavorable repercussions such as expensive cost of logistics, increase in road traffic and deteriorating air quality. The DFC projects would help Indian Railways alter this asymmetry.
The central objective of the Dedicated Freight Corridors is to transport material within 24 hours across the country. Listing some of the facts and features-
The cost of the first phase of the project - development of 3000 kilometers of Rail Network under Eastern and Western DFC - is INR 1,30,000 crores, making it the largest undertaking by the Indian Railways in its history
Only Freight trains will ply within the DFCs and the route will be adjacent to the existing rail network wherever feasible
Through DFCs, the emphasis is to create efficient and world-class multimodal logistics infrastructure where material arriving at sea-ports, for example JNPT in Navi Mumbai, would be quickly loaded onto Freight trains and transported via the Western DFC to the manufacturing hubs of Northern India. Industrial Corridors are being set up besides the DFCs so that last-mile road logistics is minimized
70% of existing Freight trains will be diverted to DFCs which will serve to decongest the traffic on the existing rail network, allowing much-needed bandwidth to add more Passenger trains
The world's second largest Railway Control Centre has been setup in Prayagraj for managing the Eastern DFC operations
Double-Stacked Containers would be able to ply on these corridors and they will be hauled by the powerful 12000 HP WAG-12B locomotive. Additionally, the length of the Freight trains will be capped at 1500 metres, more than double the existing 650 metres
The average speed of Freight trains will increase from a paltry 24 kms/hour currently to 80 kms/hour in the DFCs. More goods and faster speeds will combine to make the unit cost of freight operations significantly lower
The DFCs will be fully-electrified allowing Indian Railways to save up on fuel costs and pollution emissions
To ensure safety, Level Crossings (road-rail intersections at ground level) would be completely done away with in the DFCs. Instead, overbridges and underpasses will be used to minimize the possibility of human/animal accidents besides facilitating uninterrupted freight movement
More interesting details about the DFC project can be viewed from this video-
14. The switch to safer and more comfortable coaches
While there have been several variants, one can club the Passenger coaches used by the Indian Railways under two broad categories - the ICF rakes (Integrated Coach Factory) and the LHB rakes (Linke-Hoffman Busch). The former was built using technology-transfer from Switzerland and has been operational since 1955 while the latter was built using technology-transfer from Germany and has been operational since 2000. Indian Railways stopped manufacturing ICF coaches in 2018 as it intends to completely switch over to using LHB rakes (and even better ones) on grounds of passenger safety and convenience.
The merits of LHB coaches over ICF can be gleaned from the table below-
Strangely, I prefer the ICF coaches - it gives the authentic Rail journey feel. Moreover, I actually find them to be less jerky than the LHBs. If only they were newer and cleaner!
15. Track Infrastructure Maintenance
It is not just the moving objects that need frequent maintenance and upgrades - the static ones need it in equal measure - particularly the Railway Tracks.
While Indian Railways incurred a heavy dip in revenues during the nation-wide lockdown of 2020 due to the raging pandemic, it presented a window of opportunity to perform the long-overdue track maintenance activities - such as flaw detection, oscillation monitoring, de-stressing of railway tracks and remodelling and repair of railway yards and railway bridges.
Indian Railways intends to completely mechanize the inspection, monitoring, relaying and maintenance of tracks across the country by 2024. Large investments have already been made to procure superior maintenance equipment - be it dynamic tamping express for track repair and renewal, ballast cleaning machine to inspect and stabilize sleeper and ballast, points and crossing machine for track geometry correction at turnouts, or modern camp coaches to accommodate, transport and upskill maintenance workers posted at remote locations.
16. Easing the main Bottleneck - the Signalling Infrastructure
For significant operations improvement to happen in any industry, the overall Flow in the system needs to improve rather the efficiency of individual parts of the system being maximized. For example, while the new Train 18 passenger locomotive can reach a cruise speed of 160 km/hr, but if the Railway Infrastructure supporting it isn't reliable, the loco-pilot would be hesitant to travel at this speed - he could worry about missing track line changes, halt signals, or ongoing maintenance work.
When I observe the Indian Railways as a System, the main bottleneck isn't the average train speed or the number of trains in my opinion. Rather, it is the Railways Infrastructure - precisely the (Information) Signalling mechanisms which impede the flow the most.
Indian Railways is reliant on manual or semi-automatic signalling, track interlocking and other signalling mechanisms. As a result, there are several buffers built into the system which hamper productivity. Metro Rail of India serves as the perfect contrast - its urban transit services are punctual and reliable by-and-large.
What is a Buffer and how is it detrimental to productivity? Consider that a contractor has been awarded a project to paint a building. The contractor knows that if everything proceeds smoothly, the task will be completed within 5 days. However, contingencies could arise - the painters could fall sick, the paint dealers may be unable to deliver the cans on time, etc. - these would result in delays. And so, the contractor would commit a 7-day deadline to the customer. Not only will the customer incur two days of additional service cost but also the contractor will not be able to take up new assignments which coincide with this service job or divert his workers to more profitable jobs. The workers, knowing that the deadline is not challenging enough, would opt to not be as efficient as they could either. Thus, the buffer of two days is a net-loss for everybody from the operations and systems perspective. Buffers have their role, and one doesn't need to completely do away with them. However, excessive Buffers, particularly on important flow channels of a complex project (called Critical Path in operations terminology), results in generation of Waste - which shore up the time taken and costs, and are detrimental to efficiency.
Likewise, I do not think the Indian Railways is doing the best it could, even with the not-so-modern resources that it is working with. Enormous Value can be unlocked by decongesting the Railway Network by deploying smarter/automated (Information) Signalling mechanisms which reduce the in-built buffers. More trains, faster locomotives and modern railway stations can come later - these are not the main bottlenecks and maximizing the efficiency of these individual nodes would not eliminate the critical issues affecting the Indian Railways as a system.
Instead, what could be done is-
relaying accurate information on a real-time basis to the loco-pilot as well as station managers
limiting the reliance on manual decisions by integrating information-signalling with the locomotive's control system
ensuring that the loco-pilot and station managers feel more assured about safety, thereby allowing them to focus on efficiency maneuvers - such as running the train at higher speeds and releasing clearances for trains to arrive and depart at the station quicker
Much to my pleasant surprise, this is exactly what the Indian Railways has set out to do - a planned investment of INR 50,000 crores+ over the next five years to modernize the existing Railway Signalling and Telecom systems through these initiatives-
Electronic Interlocking System: While being a safety measure to prevent accidents, this technology will also reduce time delays of the nature when a train has to halt just before a station as the arrival platform has not been allotted to it
Automatic Train Protection (Kavach) through Anti-Collision Device: This technology will reduce the possibility of a train crash, from all directions. This is possible through real-time train, signal and track information from the Railway Control Centre being integrated directly with the locomotive's Control System. This implies that even if the loco-pilot misses to spot a halt signal (due to fog, for example) and reduce the train's speed, the train's Control System will automatically do so besides alerting the loco-pilot
Block Signalling: This is a smart upgrade to the existing method of conveying Main Line status to the Locomotive Pilot - a track is broken down into a series of blocks and a maximum of one train can occupy a block thereby preventing the chances of collision
Data Transmission through Optical Fibres: Because higher and more stable data transfer speeds are necessary to facilitate real-time information exchange
Digital Axle Counters: These devices would be installed near railway tracks and collect information regarding the total number of axles attached to the bogies of the train as it passes by and relay the data to the Railway Control Center where it would be reconciled with the data obtained at source i.e. before the journey commences and/or at the last station halt. This automated check would help in ascertaining that all the rakes of the train are intact i.e. they aren't detached or missing. Moreover, this technology reduces the dependency on manual inspection
With the successful implementation of these initiatives along with faster locomotives and dedicated freight corridors, Indian Railways will be able to improve the flow in the system besides making train travel more safer, thereby unlocking value-generation opportunities such as adding more passenger trains on busy routes.
17. The Manpower-intensive Operations of Indian Railways
Indian Railways is the largest employer in India with a manpower count of 12.5 lakhs as on 31st March 2020 - it regularly features in the Top 10 largest employers in the world list as well.
To share some related statistics (Source)-
The total number of Indian Railway employees has decreased by ~10% in the last decade - 1.40 million+ personnel were employed in 2010 compared to 1.25 million+ in 2020.
Group C category of manpower comprises supervisory and clerical positions and this constitute the bulk of the manpower employed by Indian Railways at 98.5%. Considering that increasing mechanization and automation was reducing the need for such positions, the Indian Railways had previously attempted to reduce its count - there used to be a Group D category earlier comprising of only clerical positions: very low-skilled/unskilled roles such as helper, gangman, trackman, welder, fitter and porter. Group D was merged with Group C and the total manpower allocation for the merged group was reduced, thereby reducing the overall count of such clerical manpower. However, in a nation like ours where the rural youth in particular are largely dependent on government and railway roles for employment, this decision did not go down well giving way to protests.
In terms of Department-wise breakup of manpower, Mechanical Engineering and (other) Engineering roles dominate (~22% each), followed by Transportation and Electrical roles (~13% each). Despite the overall reduction in Manpower between 2010 and 2020, it struck to me that the average annual wage per employee has more than doubled in the last decade to INR 1.2 million per person now (Refer Figure 43 - the amount is excluding pension and gratuity).
The average wage bill amount appears abnormally high to me given that ~99% of the workforce is supervisory and clerical in nature. More to it than what meets the eye😏? Nonetheless, it must be a gargantuan task to recruit and manage the manpower of an organization of such magnitude.
18. Remaining a Government Monopoly or increasing Privatization?
Given all the information and insights that you’ve gathered thus far, would you opt to privatize the Indian Railways and to what extent?
Some important aspects (for and against) that you may consider-
With Dedicated Freight Corridors, the existing railway network will get decongested. The successful implementation of other projects, as highlighted previously in this post, will make Indian Railways more efficient, safer and convenient for Passengers and Freight customers
Lest you think that Indian Railways can operate in a bubble by virtue of being a massive State-owned monopoly, in reality, it is affected by competition - Road Transportation is always making a dent to the Freight business and Budget Airlines are successfully coveting AC Passengers
As far as Unit Economics is concerned, the Passenger business is highly loss-making (40-45%) - Indian Railways uses the income from its Freight business to continue subsidizing the passenger fares and keeping it low in order to avoid mass protests
Crores of youth from rural villages and remote areas appear for Railway examinations every year in a bid to be employed in a stable, long-term role. The Private sector is growing in the country, however, not remotely as much to recruit such large numbers and even if it does someday, the job security will not be assured
To share some global examples - Railways in Japan is completely privatized. In USA, South Korean and Germany, Railways is largely State-owned with increasing Private Investment. Railways in China is completely State-owned
Do ponder the question from an operational lens as well - how can private players and the government co-exist, how will scheduling priorities be determined, how will the customer segments be impacted, and so on…
What conclusion did you reach?
See how your opinion compares to the Government of India’s stance as of today (2021)-
No to Privatization, Yes to Liberalization: Public-Private Partnership model will be utilized for select trains, for station modernization projects and for land development purposes. Liberalization would help to segment the customers. For example, private train operators can woo frustrated AC passengers who are migrating towards Budget Airlines by offering them better in-train services and timely overnight journeys on premium AC trains. Indian Railways, on the other hand, can focus on the needs of the common man i.e. those who journey in Sleeper and General class on regular trains. The burden on Indian Railways to subsidize passenger fares would also lessen - it can continue keeping the fares low for the general masses who crave inexpensive albeit more convenient rail travel
For a Future-ready Railway Network by 2031, the Indian Railways envisages the need to, among other things, upgrade Railway Stations. By leasing out the development of land parcels adjoining the railway stations (Indian Railways is one of the largest landholders in the country) to the Private sector would allow it to acquire funds for investing in Station modernization thereby mitigating the need to pass on the added cost to the customers in the form of Development Fees as is applicable for air travellers
Does your opinion tally with the government's stance? Feel free to share your feedback.
19. Indian Railways' Engineering Marvels - a source of National Pride
In a recent article in The Economist news portal, the writer Tom Easton highlighted that just as India has come a long way since 1853 when 10,000 inexperienced workers had gritted through heat, floods and marshlands full of poisonous snakes to complete the construction of India's first railway line between Bombay and Thane, India has gritted through state politics, land acquisition problems, diverse topographical characteristics and philosophical opposition over the last century to develop a modern Railway Network spanning all states of India with the exception of Meghalaya (opposition from student union) and Sikkim (high-gradient mountainous terrain). He appreciated the engineering marvel that is the Chenab Rail Bridge - the world's highest railway bridge at 359 metres above the river-bed which is capable to withstand winds of up to 266 kms/hr and which would enable rail connectivity between the pristine Kashmir valley with the rest of India for the first time ever.
This article prompted me to read more about the various engineering feats performed by Indian Railways over the years generating tremendous utility for Passengers and Freight customers alike as well as being a source of pride for the developing nation. Highlighting a few of them below-
Around 200 Railway Tunnels are being bored in India currently, but none are of them are as spectacular than the Sohna DFC Rail Tunnel in Haryana which would become the world's first fully-electrified rail tunnel that can accommodate double-stacked containers. At 1.1 kilometers length and cutting through the Aravalli hills in the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, this electrified tunnel will allow Freight trains to travel by at speeds in excess of 100 kms/hour
The old and the new Pamban railway bridge - Connecting the holy southern island of Rameswaram to the Indian mainland, the 2 kilometers long Old Pamban railway bridge was India's first and longest sea-bridge (the Bandra-Worli Sea Link has surpassed it now). Constructed in 1914, it has a bascule midway which allows ships to pass underneath. On the bridge, the train often encounters ferocious winds from the sea prompting travelers to label the experience as thrilling and dangerous
The new Pamban railway bridge, expected to be completed in March 2022, is another engineering marvel - it is India's first Vertical Lift Railway Sea Bridge. Electromechanically controlled and interlocked with the train's Control System, this dual-track bridge will facilitate quicker and safer movement of trains. The vertical lift mechanism would also allow two ships to pass underneath
Konkan Railway - Labelled as the most challenging railway project undertaken in India and completed in a record time of eight years, the 750 kilometers-long Konkan Railway connects the coastal cities in the western states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. Some of the salient features of this engineering marvel are captured in the figure below-
Complete electrification of Konkan Railways, initially scheduled to be completed by December 2021, has now been pushed to June 2022. Upon completion, the trains will be able to move at higher speeds.
Mountain railways of India - Meandering through hilly terrain in a whistling steam locomotive on narrow gauge tracks would be among the best holiday memories for millions of Indians. The Darjeeling Himalayan railway, Nilgiri Mountain railway and the Kalka-Shimla railway - part of the Mountain railways of India - are collectively designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to the bold and ingenious engineering solutions used to create an effective rail link through rugged, mountainous terrain. The fact that these Mountain railways were constructed in the late-1800s and early-1900s is astounding. Matheran Hill railway, Kangra Valley railway, the upcoming Jammu-Baramulla railway among several others planned for the future also form a part of the Mountain railways of India.
20. IRCTC - the Customer-facing Subsidiary of Indian Railways
The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), launched in 1999, functions as a subsidiary of the Indian Railways. Most of us who have booked a railway ticket online or consumed food from the train's pantry know that IRCTC has monopoly rights to operate these revenue streams. As a result, it should come as no surprise to know this publicly listed company has been performing exceptionally well in the bourse.
Below are the various customer-centric services being offered by IRCTC as of today-
Online Rail Ticketing: More than 4 lakh online rail tickets are booked daily on an average through IRCTCs web and mobile platforms
In-Train Catering Services: Exclusive rights to food services in trains with pantry cars. Routinely maligned for corrupt practises though
Online Flights, Hotels, Holiday Packages: diversifying into Tours and Travels businesses
In-Station Hospitality and e-Catering: IRCTC Food Courts, Jan Aahar, Rail Neer mineral water, Waiting and Retiring rooms, Food and Ready-to-eat Meals delivery in trains
Public-Private Partnership: For select Tejas and Humsafar Passenger trains, IRCTC collaborates with Private organizations for ticketing, parcels, catering and housekeeping
Rail Drishti Railway Dashboard: A single portal of information for all things Indian Railways – be it train status, station amenities, incident reporting etc.
21. Coach Hygiene - Vital for passenger comfort
Congratulations that you've made it to the end of this article and to the end of 2021😅! Cleanliness and hygiene is especially relevant in the times we live in and for this final section, I'll leave you with a couple of videos pertaining to Passenger Coach cleaning services - an underrated but essential component of customer satisfaction-
Hope you enjoyed reading this detailed post.Wishing you a happy and safe 2022!
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