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Showing posts with label Noise hazards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Noise hazards. Show all posts

Sunday, 28 May 2017

10:04

Remarks on AC Local -Railway Board

Remarks on AC Local -Railway Board

Railway Board makes scathing remarks on AC local

ICF has been asked to fix responsibility for manufacturing the rake

Also submit a detailed schedule of all tests to be carried out on the rake

RDSO and BHEL have been asked to submit the final commissioning of the rake
Member Rollin Stock, Railway Board inspected various railway facilities in Mumbai a couple of months ago. The notes from this visit have been uploaded on IR’s website. Railway board member has made some harsh remarks about the air-conditioned EMU rake which is currently undergoing testing. A short summary of the remarks:
A. He notes that the rake is badly delayed due to some issues which could not be resolved. RDSO and BHEL have been asked to submit the final timeline for commissioning of the rake & also submit a detailed schedule of all tests to be carried out on the rake.
B. ICF has been asked to fix responsibility for manufacturing the rake with 4335 mm height even though max allowed height is 4275 mm on Central Railway.
C. Various deficiencies were noted in the rake with regards to high noise, vibrations, improper interiors & internal furnishings.
These issues need to be addressed before pressing the rake into service. Some of the issues are:
1. Very high level of noise when AC units are switched on. It should be brought down to permissible noise levels

2. Low height of luggage racks

3. Projections over seating area due to large size

4. AC unit height is more than permissible height

5. Vestibule (portion that allows walking from one coach to other) and floor are at different heights causing uneven flooring

6. Vestibules are tilting, which creates gap between coaches. Design needs modification

7. Public information system needs to be more elegant and at a better location

8. Loose screws were found on flooring & flooring sheets were uneven

9. Grab handles were broken. A sturdier design needs to be used

10. Height of grab handles should also be looked into

11. AC unit in motorman’s cab blows cold air directly on the back of motorman which will be uncomfortable for him

12. CCTV camera should be provided

13. LED lights should be used

14. Number of fans should be reduced and their speed too should be reduced

It looks like the rake has many deficiencies & was hurriedly despatched from ICF. There is still no clarity on when it will be inducted into regular service. That day does seem to be quite far off.
During the inspection of Matunga workshop, Siemens rake motorcoaches too were inspected. Recently CR has been hit by a spate of cracks in bolsters of Siemens EMUs. A bogie bolster is the central section of the bogie that carries the entire weight of a coach on it. Cracks in such a critical component is a safety issue. CR has been working proactively to ensure all rakes are in a condition fit to run.
These issues are most probably due to poor manufacturing/quality control at ICF. In his notes, the member of board is critical of this as well. He says:
a) From January 2017 to February 2017, 24 cases of cracks in bolster have been reported. 2 coaches having cracks were inspected.
b) As this is a critical item for safety, ICF was asked to come up with suitable repair procedures quickly. The repairs should be carried out by manufacturer of bogies under supervision of ICF.
c) ICF should trace manufacturer of each defective bolster.
d) RDSO should carry out the audit of manufacturing processes of suppliers.
e) Siemens rakes have started showing high levels of corrosion in various parts of the coach in just 6-7 years. ICF should investigate and take corrective action on it.
Overall, this report reflects poorly on ICF. Their quality and finishing have come under criticism from the board. This is nothing new though, as the lack of quality is clearly visible even to the naked eye.

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Saturday, 19 September 2015

08:19

Metro Fares and Auto fares for single person are comparable ?

Metro Fares and Auto fares  for single person are comparable ?

Nagpur: While the fare of metro railway will be decided by a high level committee, officials of Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) have indicated they would be comparable to autorickshaw fare per person.

Addressing a public interaction programme at Dhantoli, Shirish Apte, public relations officer (PRO), gave an example, "If a three-seater autorickshaw takes Rs 90 for going to railway station then per person the fare comes to Rs 30. The metro railway fare will be comparable to this over the same stretch. The exact fare will be decided by a committee headed by a retired high court judge as per the Metro Railway Act."

The official further said that monthly, three-monthly passes would be issued as the agency wanted long term business from commuters. The commuters will be able to pay the fare of feeder service and bicycles (wherever available) through the metro rail smart card. "Only 30% of our reveneue will come from tickets. The rest will be from other sources and hence the fare will be affordable," he added.

NMRCL has been organizing such programmes at localities situated near metro rail stations. This was the ninth in the series and was organized with the cooperation of corporators Sandip Joshi and Safalta Ambatkar. NMRCL, which was represented by Apte and Kapil Chandrayan, faced a barrage of questions from Dhantoli residents on a host of issues. Many were irrelevant as some pertained to agencies that have no relation with NMRCL.

Residents of one of the buildings of Congress Nagar Square complained that their building was being demolished to save the New English High School and demanded that the Congress Nagar station should be opposite Ajni railway station. NMRCL asked them to give a submission in writing.

Corporator Joshi wondered why the distance between Congress Nagar and Rahate Colony stations was hardly 1.5 km. Apte said that going by the experience of metro railways elsewhere the distance should be between 950 to 1200 metres to reduce the use of two-wheelers. On a doctor's query about noise pollution, the NMRCL officials said the metro rail engine's noise would be far lower than that of a normal railway engine because it would be far less powerful. "As for vibrations, it will be less where the track is straight. The at grade stretch also it will have low vibrations," Apte said.

Some citizens wondered why Civil Lines, which had so many government offices, did not have metro rail connectivity. The officials said that the locality would be covered by feeder service.


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Thursday, 2 July 2015

07:48

Delhi Division to equip Loco Pilots with Electronic Muffs to fight noise hazards

Delhi Division to equip Loco Pilots with Electronic Muffs to fight noise hazards

New Delhi: To protect railway employees from occupational health hazard of exposure to high decibel sounds during long working hours, the Delhi division of the Northern Railway plans to issue electronic muffs, a device which suppress all very high-level ambient noises to medically prescribed limit.

Trial of these electronic muffs in real working conditions will start from Wednesday in the Jammu Rajdhani Express. Arun Arora, Divisional Railway Manager, Delhi Division, told that these electronic muffs would mitigate the adverse impact of high level noises on the railway staff working at critical locations.

Mr Arora said that the trial of the new electronic device (muffs) to suppress all very high-level ambient noises to 82 decibels will start in the Jammu Rajdhani. “Railway employees deployed at the power cars of the Jammu Radhani Express will be asked to use the electronic muffs during the journey from Delhi to Jammu and back. We will take direct feedback from the railwaymen who are exposed to high sound and employees working in power car are one of them,” added Mr Arora.

These muffs are an electronic device which suppresses all very high-level ambient noises to 82 decibels. This would mitigate the adverse impact of high-level noises on the railway staff and is capable of not interfering with the sounds below 82 decibels thus enabling the person using the electronic muffs to hear all relevant sounds clearly.

After a successful trial, railway employees deployed in power cars of all the trains of the Delhi division will be provided these electronic muffs. All the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains have two power cars each to meet power requirements. In each power car, around four railway employees are deployed, adding to a total of eight employees in the two power cars of a train. Noise of around 120 decibels are generated in the power cars, which almost the fifty per cent extra from prescribed medical limit of 82 decibels.

After the successful trial run, the Delhi division will also provide these electronic muffs to employees working at critical locations like near wheel lathes, workshops, depots, diesel sheds and other areas.
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