Types of Goods Trains

 

1. Shunting Trains

  • Carries inward loaded wagons and empties to be supplied for loading at intermediate stations and pickup outward loaded or empty wagons from those stations.
  • These trains perform only shunting at intermediate stations and no loading/ unloading is done on the train.
  • Wagons detached enroute as sick and subsequently made fit are also collected.

2. Pilots

  • Apart from inward and outward traffic in wagon loads, wagons are also loaded in large numbers at Sidings, Goods terminals, Transhipment points, Industrial areas like steel plants etc.
  • Outward and inward between above places and marshalling yards are generally cleared by running of pilots.
  • For clearing an outward load, an engine with or without BV and Guard is sent from nearest yard to siding.

3. Through Goods Trains

  • One Marshalling Yard to next Marshalling Yard without any shunting enroute.
  • Resorting done only in next Marshalling Yard.
  • A train load which bypasses one or more Marshalling Yard is known as Block load.
  • Block loads are given progressive number each month to see how many are run during the month.

4.Point Loads

  • All wagons are meant to be unloaded at a particular point.
  • Eg. Full train load of coal wagons to a particular thermal power house.

5. Unit Trains

  • Integral movement of Goods, usually one particular commodity, moving from a sinlge origin to a single destination on a regular schedule using dedicated equipment and moving under a special tariff requiring annual minimum tonnage is called Unit Trains.

Essential features of Unit Trains are:

  • They move between two fixed points on a fixed timetable basis.
  • Rakes are dedicated exclusively for such services and no shunting is permitted enroute.
  • Bypasses all intermediate yards.  No sorting required.
  • Loading/unloading operations at originating and destination stations are fully mechanized so that turn round at terminals are drastically curtailed.
  • Entire train load is consigned by and consigned to a single consignor so that documentation is for a train load.
  • Rolling stock is normally owned by users on whose behalf railways work the unit trains. Users guarantee a minimum quantum of traffic per annum and railways offer a reduced rate for transport of goods.

Advantages of Unit Trains

  • Intensive utilization of freight car: Move on a tight schedule, bypasses intermediate yards. Terminal detentions are reduced due to mechanized loading/unloading. As a result utilization of freight cars is high.
  • Relief to intermediate yards
  • Special wagons:  Tare weight can be reduced as they are not subjected to humping etc. 
  • Reduction in accounting and paper work as documentation is for train load.
  • No damage/ loss to consignments and hence reduced claim.
  • More orderly operation.

6. Merry Go Round (MGR) Trains

  • Formed with bottom discharge hopper wagons which are loaded mechanically from overhead bunkers in the collieries while the train is in slow motion.
  • Loaded wagon is moved to thermal power station at normal speed.
  • At unloading line doors of wagons are opened through mechanical shaft devices and coal is discharged from bottom into underground bunkers.
  • Doors are similarly closed at the exit end of the unloading line.
  • Entire loading/unloading operations take hardly 45 minutes with 30 hopper wagons.
  • Crew changing, electronic weighing, billing, documentation all is done while the train is in slow motion.
  • NTPC have MGR system for thermal power house at Ramagundam, Singrauli etc.
  • Advantages : High productivity of Rolling stock, regular movement, less investment in track by way of loading/unloading yards.

7. Freight Liners

  • Freight Liners are fully containerized traffic.
  • Run between container terminals on large scales.
  • Loading/ unloading is mechanized and as such detention to rakes at terminals is reduced to minimum.

Comments

HARSHDEEP SING…

Sun, 06/01/2013 - 08:44

dear running men, i wants to know, the now a days, how many standard of interlocking and r there speeds? have there is railway board letter for any  modification? harshdeep singh nahar lpp/juc