Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) RL Sharma and his team on Monday conducted an inspection of a broad gauge line.
The team on reaching Khandwa began a speed trial and inspected the five-and-a-half kilometres tracks laid between Khandwa cabin and railway station.
After the inspection, Bhusawal DRM sat at a speed of 100 km per hour on the track from Khandwa cabin to the station at 2 pm. People welcomed the train as it arrived at the railway station.
On spotting some shortcomings, the CRS asked the authorities concerned to rectify them and submit a report within a week.
Stressing on the safety and quality work, the CRS while talking to the officials said that work should be done in such a way that it lasts for the next 100 years and not just a decade.
Ratlam divisional and Bhusawal divisional officials talked about the possibility of getting the gift of Khandwa-Sanawad train by January.
Ahead of the trial, a small prayer meet was held at the railway station in which CRS Sharma, DRM SS Kedia of Bhusawal Division and DRM Rajneesh Kumar of Ratlam Division were present.
The officials thereafter boarded seven trolleys for inspecting the track. The authorities also asked to remove some signal pillars of the old meter gauge line near the track.
On reaching Chidiya Maidan railway crossing, the officials expressed displeasure over the absence of points at the railway gate. The officials questioned the senior engineer and the guard about the gap of the track between the additional tracks at the crossing, which the duo failed to answer.
As even an officer present there could not give the exact figure, the CRS himself informed him about the correct gap.
As the team reached Rameshwar underpass, the team spotted more gap
between the two parts and at one place later plastered plaster was seen. Spotting this the Commissioner of Railway Safety asked for the photo of its earlier position. Sharma reprimanded the officials as they could not produce the photographs of its earlier positioning.
While checking the record of the culvert, the CRS could not find the signature of the inspecting engineer. When Sharma asked the official on which date he inspected the site, the latter failed to respond. Sharma asked for a report on the same. The team later inspected Lal Chowki railway crossing.
After the track inspection of CRS, a decision will be taken to run the train till Sanawad (Omkareshwar Road). Manoj Soni, who is associated with the Rail Advisory Committee, said that, from January 1, 2017, rail operations were stopped between Khandwa and Sanawad for gauge conversion.
