Indian Railways

[ArjunMK1A]

Is converting Diesel engine into Electcic feasible? What percentage of similarity in parts?

They are using the shell only I believe. They tried and lot of them not even approved for production.

So we can say mostly failed.

 

[ArjunMK1A]

What is stopping India from retiring crappy trains like Shat(lol)abdi and others and making everything into Vande Bharat? Also btw, Vande Bharat average speed is on par with Amtrak. Amtrak is 1970s era technology. This is a good thing, but, India has much to catch up on still.

Agree with your comment on having multiple trains but doing the same service.

Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi should be stopped and VB should take over as singletrains with multiple timings between cities.

Also MEMU should be increased between smaller cities and Capitals. Should have ACs.

Superfast/Express distinction needs to be removed. Just single Overnight express trains with 3AC setting. Pricing should be 1-1.5 Rs per KM. Also increase the speed from current measly 55 km to somewhere around 85 kmph.

Vande Metro needed more. Can be used as upmarket replacement in certain sections.

Rajdhani, Duronto, Sampark kranti should be replaced by VB Sleeper. Except Rajdhani remove 2AC and have 14 3AC and 2 1AC (Rename as Business class) on the other two trains.

But main things. Increase MPS in all critical routes like Del-Mum, Del-Chn, Del-Kol, Chn-Mum etc. Then station yard remodelling to allow seamless entry exit for trains.

IR should be an Track maintenance companies, Introduce multiple train operators like in Europe, Government should have an say by making IRCTC as government owned train operators followed by other Private operators.

Break Rail factories and make them as separate PSU with corporatization.


Also IR should be made to concentrate on only Maintenance of Tracks rather than running trains which they don't want to do and also bleed money.

 

[Azaad]

They are using the shell only I believe. They tried and lot of them not even approved for production.

So we can say mostly failed.

So practically the entire lot of diesel locomotives we have is going to be scrapped?

 

[crazywithmath]

View: https://youtu.be/rwZUsakbG1Y?si=dNxZVMO5cYEwwNZ1

This is a very informative interview with Mr Balakesari veteran Railwayman & ex Railway Board Member who's stridently criticised the haste with which electrification of the entire system was undertaken.

While I don't quite agree with his logic of comparing "coal based vs diesel based railway," using terminology he's used to describe this phenomenon of replacing the latter with the former , this one move has led to us stabling ( resting locomotives permanently in car sheds akin to the IAF retiring planes , keeping them in reserve) 2500 diesel locomotives @upto INR 50 cr per unit = INR 1,25,000/-

What a collosal waste of resources ?!

I don't get it! You will always need diesel locos, no? What if multiple grids are affected? What if a war breaks out? One reasonable point we could make is that electrifying minor branch lines made little economic sense (unlike in mainline where it helped save fuel costs).

 

[Azaad]

I don't get it! You will always need diesel locos, no? What if multiple grids are affected? What if a war breaks out? One reasonable point we could make is that electrifying minor branch lines made little economic sense (unlike in mainline where it helped save fuel costs).

Brozzer you missed a couple of pages of furious debate. I'd urge you to go thru them before arriving at a conclusion.