Palakkad Division received a new 8-wheeler Over Head Equipment (OHE) Inspection Wagon (Tower Car) for inspection and maintenance of overhead electrical equipment.
This is the seventh tower wagon inducted into the division. With this, Kumbla- Mangaluru-Junction-Jokkatte-Panambur section will get an exclusive tower wagon for maintenance.
The self-propelled tower wagon with many advanced features can be useful for preventive as well as breakdown maintenance of overhead traction equipment.
The tower wagon is also used for annual and periodical overhauling of OHE. It is helpful to improve the reliability of OHE systems and also it ensures prompt restoration of OHE during failures, a press release stated.
Manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, the tower wagon can be run at a maximum speed of 110 kmph. It can also haul a tailing wagon of 60 tonnes.
Palakkad Division now maintains 453 km of electrified section from Podanur to Mangaluru with 1,069 km of track. The maintenance of these assets is now being taken care of by six tower wagons parked at Palakkad Junction, Shoranur Junction, Tirur, Quilandy, Kannur South and Charvattur.
The division is scheduled to complete the electrification of the entire route under its jurisdiction by October 2022. Except a few, all trains running in the mainline (Podanur-Mangaluru-Jokkatte-Panambur) are now operated on electric traction, the press release added.