Indian Railways will adopt mobile flash butt welding in all new construction projects from July 1, 2004 to ensure better safety. With this, the existing thermit welds would be replaced gradually.
It has also been decided to replace manual system of ultrasonic testing of rails with wheel probe as it exists in foreign railways. To begin with, a service contract for testing of 100 kilometres of track on Ambala-Ludhiana section has been given. After its success, wheel probe ultrasonic testing of rails will be introduced. Besides, ultrasonic testing of axles is being ensured for all wagons turned out from periodic overhaul and routine overhaul depots to prevent cases of cold breakage of axles.
Following the introduction of Special Railway Safety Fund (SRSF) in 2001-2002 with a corpus of Rs. 17,000 crores, a non-budgetary initiatives, to liquidate accumulated arrears of the renewals of assets upto April 1, 2001, track renewal has increased from a level of approximately 3000 kilometres to 4500 kilometres annually. In addition, targets for renewal of other railway assets, such as, bridge works, signalling and telecom, renewals of stations and track circuiting have been met consistently till now.
(Release ID :2151)