For first time, entire track laying of DFC to be done using NTC machine

New Delhi: In a boost to the railways' efforts to use technology to ease infrastructure work, for the first time in India, the entire track laying of the Dedicated Freight Corridor is being done through the New Track Construction (NTC) machine, the implementing agency of the project DFCCIL said on Wednesday.
An inspection of the NTC working site on the Khurja-Dadri section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor was conducted by the Niti Aayog vice chairman and the railway board chairman on Wednesday.

CRB VK Yadav appreciated the hard work put in by the DFC collective, contractors for this project of national importance and expressed confidence that the DFCCIL will achieve the deadlines.

Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar appreciated the 24X7 working of the DFCCIL.

"Impressed by the speedy implementation of the project which is scheduled to be completed in 2022 and will act as a crucial multiplier for the Indian #Economy. My compliments to the team @dfccil_india & #IndianRailways," he tweeted after his visit to the site.

Yadav, however, said that the project will be completed by December 2021.

"Entire track laying of the DFCCIL is being undertaken by the New Track Construction (NTC) machine which has the capacity to lay 1.5 km track per day, ensuring safety, precision and reliability. This is the first time that these machines are being used in India," DFCCIL said in a statement.

The Khurja-Dadri Section is the connecting link between the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors having the capacity to run heavy haul and long haul freight trains at 100 kmph.

Currently, there are seven NTC machines being deployed along the DFC alignment with four in EDFC and three in WDFC respectively.

Four NTC machines are deployed in the Allahabad - New Bhaupur, Allahabad-Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction, Bhaupur-Bhadan, Khurja Dadri sections and in WDFC, three NTC machines are deployed at Palanpur-Makarpura, Gothangam-Baroda and Anchali-Sachin sections respectively.

After inspecting the track laying by the NTC machine, Yadav appreciated the hard work put in by the DFCCIL for this project of national importance and expressed confidence at the achieving of the deadlines by DFCCIL.

The use of NTC brings substantial ease and efficiency in track construction with integrated logistic arrangements for mechanized handling, movement and laying of heavy track components. The machine provides assembly line kind of laying with high speed and accuracy, DFCCIL said in a statement.

Previously, without this machine a maximum of 150-200 metres of track could have been laid in an eight-hour shift.

"The output of the machine can be as high as 1.5 kms in each 8 hour shift. These machines not only accelerate speed of construction but also help in careful handling and placement of rails and sleepers, achieving high initial quality in track laying. It is a well known fact that the initial quality of track laying determines its performance and service life.

"Laying tracks using the continuous-action, assembly-line method has proven to be the most cost-efficient method of work. The entire supply of new sleepers and rails within the track being laid is by mechanised operation," it said.