DLS augmentation to be over in March

Work on augmentation of the Diesel Loco Shed (DLS) in Visakhapatnam, the largest of its kind in the country, is expected to be completed by March.

The exercise will result in an increase in the holding capacity of the shed to 331 locomotives from the existing 231.

“The augmentation work is expected to be completed by March. Initially, it was planned to keep older version locos in the old shed, but now only electrical locomotives are being manufactured, and hence the DLS would be converted to handle only electric locomotives. We have already transferred 20 electric locos from the existing ELS (Electric Loco Shed) to the DLS,” said Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer Santosh Kumar Patra.

“We have also posted 300 staff to work on maintenance of the 20 electric locos. Civil works have been completed. A 15-tonne crane has been erected and the 65-tonne crane erection would be completed by February 10. The initial cost of ₹64 crore has now gone up to ₹92.50 crore,” he said.

The augmentation work was sanctioned in the 2015-16 financial year and it was announced that work on augmentation of ELS, Visakhapatnam, would be taken up at a cost of ₹19.57 crore. DLS, Visakhapatnam celebrated its golden jubilee last May.