Diesel Loco Shed (DLS), Visakhapatnam, the largest in India, is poised for a quantum leap in its holding capacity with the government sanctioning Rs.53.13 crore in the 2015-16 Railway Budget for its expansion.
“The present holding capacity of 231 locomotives will go up to 331 with the augmentation of the capacity of the DLS by another 100 locomotives. The shed will handle 100 HHP (High Horse Power) and the latest model locos on completion of the augmentation process,” Divisional Railway Manager Anil Kumar has told The Hindu .
“The proposed augmentation of the DLS, the ELS (Electric Loco Shed), augmentation of facilities to handle additional sick wagons, establishment Wagon Repair Shop at Vadlapudi in the city and some other works sanctioned for Waltair Division at an estimated cost of Rs.695 crore are sure to put the division on the fast track mode of development.”
“Visakhapatnam has been made an important hub for freight movement. All these works are related to train operations and the freight handling capacity of East Coast Railway (ECoR) will improve further once these developmental works are completed,” says Mr. Anil Kumar.
Established on a 100-acre site with a covered area of about 5.2 acres on May 19, 1965, the DLS has come a long way during the last five decades of its existence. Apart from regular maintenance of locomotives, technological upgradation works have also been undertaken to improve cost-effective maintenance and required outage to meet the traffic requirements.
Front runner
The DLS, Visakhapatnam, has been a front runner in adopting new technologies. It has acquired vast experience of running diesel locomotives in difficult field conditions like tunnels and hills on the Kottavalasa – Kirandul line.
“DLS, Visakhapatnam, was the first shed in which the prototype of intelligence low idling equipment was fitted for trial on locomotives in 2009. As it had resulted in substantial savings in fuel, the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) had issued instructions the next year for implementation of the new equipment on all WDS6 locos,” says railway sources.
