Vijayawada Division completes track restoration works at Padugupadu in record 40 hours

 1.8 km length track between Padugupadu and Nellore Main line was affected and submerged due to heavy inflow of water

Nine  monsoon reserve stock rakes. 6 Workmen Specials were mobilized, 300 workmen and team of Officers and Staff worked relentlessly to restore the up & down line track to normalcy  

South Central Railway, Vijayawada Division successfully completed the track restoration of both Up (Vijayawada-Chennai) and Down(Chennai-Vijayawada) main line within 40 hours at Nellore-Padugupadu sections in the important Vijayawada – Chennai Grand Trunk route. The traffic was resumed and restored to complete normalcy by 23:55 hrs of 22^nd November, 2021. South Central Railway, Vijayawada Division under the leadership of Shri Shivendra Mohan, Divisonal Railway Manager, Shri D. Srinivasa Rao, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Infrastructure and team of Branch Officers executed the restoration works in prompt and quick manner with meticulous planning and mobilization of available resources.

Due to Cyclone Jawad, which wreaked havoc in Chitoor, Kadapa and Nellore Districts, track at Nellore- Padugupadu section was severely affected and inundated. Initially, at 12:00 of 20^th November, 2021 due to heavy water flow Speed restriction of 20Kmph has been imposed at Bridge No. 362 reaching danger levels. The flood water flow had further increased as Kovur irrigation tank  banks breached, which was 1 Km upstream of railway track and flood water inundated the town as well as the Railway Track.  At about 14.30 hrs of 20.11.2021, both Up & Down lines were submerged for a length of 1.8 Kms including Padugupadu yard and water was flowing 1 meter above the rail level. Immediately, traffic has been suspended and all the concerned officials had been alerted..

While preparing for the worst case scenario, Vijayawada Division initiated restoration preparation works by mobilizing required men, material and machinery from the afternoon of  20.11.21 itself which saved lot of time in commencing the work immediately. Nine monsoon reserve stock rakes containing 2000 Cu.M of boulders, 1000 Cu.M of sand, 1000 Cu.M of quarry dust, steel cribs, RH girders have been moved from various stations across South Central Railway and kept ready for use in the adjacent stations of the affected stretches.

On 21.11.21 at 06.30 hours as the water started receding on Up line, the damages to track and embankment was assessed. It was observed that a total length of 1.8 Kms of track had been affected wherein 600 meters of railway track was severely damaged viz., washout of ballast and embankment to a depth of 2.5 meters leaving the track in hanging position.

The activity of restoration was started immediately after water levels started receding  at 06.30 hours on 21.11.21  duly deploying 12 JCB machines, 4 Excavators and 2 rail lorries at the site for working round the clock. About 300 workmen had been engaged to work day & night to facilitate early attention of the affected stretch. 5 track machines have also been deployed to ensure track parameters. Lighting arrangements were made at the spot by the Electrical department to continue the restoration operations uninterruptedly. As the road connectivity to the breaches location was cut off on both ends due to floods, six Workmen special trains were run to mobilize men.

With the untiring efforts of all the Workmen, Supervisors and Officers, down line (Chennai- Vijayawada) traffic was resumed at 23.55 hours on 21.11.21 and Division started the restoration of trains immediately with imposing Speed restrictions at the affected site. With great dedication, hard work of all the Staff, Up line (Vijayawada- Chennai) traffic was resumed at 21.15 hours of 22.11.21 which is well before the targeted time of 23.00 hours.

In order to expedite the work, all 300 Workmen, 50 Supervisors and 25 Officers worked round the clock i.e. 24x7 in 2 shifts to restore the situation to normalcy. Several Branch Officers monitored the progress from Control office Vijayawada. Commercial Department roped in NGO’s to provide relief assistance to stranded passengers at ongole, Chirala, Kavali and Tenali. Shri Gajanan Mallya, Genral Manager, SCR continuously took stock of the situation and monitored the restoration works progress as it is very crucial to resume the traffic in the affected route, which resulted in cancellation of several trains.

Shri Shivendra Mohan, DRM, Vijayawada thanked Shri Gajanan Mallya, GM, SCR and Head Quarters Officials for their continuous guidance and support. DRM congratulated the Branch Officers & their teams especially Engineering Staff for quick response, detailed planning, prompt execution & relentless working. He also said that Resumption of down line on 21st night & normal operations on 22nd night in Vijayawada Divisionn has provided much needed relief in Railways working, particularly when operations were held up and badly disrupted in adjoining Guntakal Division (GTL) and Southern Railway.

Shri Shivendra Mohan, DRM; Shri D. Srinivasa Rao, ADRM (Infrastructure), Shri E. Santharam, Sr. DEN, Co-ord, Shri N. Bhanu Surya Prakash, Sr. DEN, South, Shri B. Rama Rao, Sr. DEN, Central, Shri S. Muni Reddy, Sr DEE, Maintenance, Shri R. Viswanath Reddy, Sr. DSTE, Shri J. Sekhar Babu, Sr. DEE, TRD Shri K. Sridhar, DEN, East and Other Branch Officers monitored the track restoration operations at the site near Nellore-Padugupadu sections