Bhubaneswar: For effective inspection, monitoring and repair of railway tracks, East Coast Railway (ECoR) Tuesday introduced an innovative Rail Bicycle with a purpose to help the railway staffers in routine monitoring of rail tracks every day.
Rail Bicycles were prepared in-house by Permanent Way (P-Way) units of Khurda Road division of ECoR by utilising damaged rail dolly wheels in balancing the cycles to be used for mobile patrolling.
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There are 18 P-Way units under Khurda Road division of which eight units at Berhamapur, Sompeta, Khurda Road, Gorakanath, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar Road and Dhenkanal have prepared the Rail Bicycles, ECoR official sources informed.
Notably, safety of railway tracks are primarily inspected, monitored and attended round the clock by trackmen, irrespective of all odds be it night or day, rain or cold or otherwise. Previously, their movement was insecure, cumbersome and was by walk only.
The newly developed Rail Bicycle is capable of running on rail tracks at an average speed of 10kmph. Not only movement of trackmen would become easier but also faster in the days ahead. It weighs just around 30kg which can easily be lifted, assembled and dismantled by one person, ECoR sources expressed.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, some of the sections under Khurda division are currently closed for traffic. In these sections, Rail Bicycle can be used for patrolling, ensuring safety and security.
PNN