BENGALURU: Two days after South Western Railway (SWR) faced severe embarrassment after the journey of its first Roll On-Roll Off (RO-RO) service from Nelamangala to Bale near Solapur, Maharashtra (682km), was cut short to just 13km, the train finally took off on Tuesday.
On Sunday, the train had returned after making a brief journey till the next station, Chikkabanavara, mainly because of poor preparedness. “SWR’s first RO-RO service started its maiden trip at 1.32pm on Tuesday from Nelamangala to Bale with 26 trucks,” said Bengaluru divisional railway manager Ashok Kumar Verma.
“A detailed survey, including bridge and electrical clearance of the complete route, was done. The approval was given only after taking all safety precautions. We need to be extra cautious as it’s the first run,” Verma said, adding: “We have taken several precautions, including lashing of each truck on multiple sides with steel chain as well as conducting two rounds of counselling for all truck drivers.”
The train which passes through Dharmavaram, Guntakal, Raichur and Wadi is expected to reach Bale in 17 hours. In April, the railway board approved the proposal to launch the RO-RO service — which allows goods-laden trucks to be loaded on to railway wagons — on a trial basis. Each train can carry 30 to 45 trucks.
The RO-RO service will ensure faster movements of goods and essentials, reducing time taken by trucks to reach destinations due to traffic congestion between cities, apart from saving fuel.
Trucks with a maximum height of 3,300mm will be moved in RO-RO trains along the route. “Major commodities expected from Bengaluru are spices, dry fruits, raw coconuts, coffee and nuts, while from Solapur agricultural products such as onions, pulses and fruits are likely to be loaded,” an official said.
On Sunday, the train had returned after making a brief journey till the next station, Chikkabanavara, mainly because of poor preparedness. “SWR’s first RO-RO service started its maiden trip at 1.32pm on Tuesday from Nelamangala to Bale with 26 trucks,” said Bengaluru divisional railway manager Ashok Kumar Verma.
“A detailed survey, including bridge and electrical clearance of the complete route, was done. The approval was given only after taking all safety precautions. We need to be extra cautious as it’s the first run,” Verma said, adding: “We have taken several precautions, including lashing of each truck on multiple sides with steel chain as well as conducting two rounds of counselling for all truck drivers.”
The train which passes through Dharmavaram, Guntakal, Raichur and Wadi is expected to reach Bale in 17 hours. In April, the railway board approved the proposal to launch the RO-RO service — which allows goods-laden trucks to be loaded on to railway wagons — on a trial basis. Each train can carry 30 to 45 trucks.
The RO-RO service will ensure faster movements of goods and essentials, reducing time taken by trucks to reach destinations due to traffic congestion between cities, apart from saving fuel.
Trucks with a maximum height of 3,300mm will be moved in RO-RO trains along the route. “Major commodities expected from Bengaluru are spices, dry fruits, raw coconuts, coffee and nuts, while from Solapur agricultural products such as onions, pulses and fruits are likely to be loaded,” an official said.
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