The Railway Budget's recommendations for mass manufacture of aluminium coaches, as well as a gradual shift from steel-bodied LHB coaches to lightweight energy-efficient ones, aim to achieve the national transporter's twin goals of reduced energy usage and increased bauxite loading for aluminium factories.
In her Budget on 1 February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is anticipated to focus on the economy beyond the epidemic, despite the lingering effects of the Omicron wave. Growth in capital expenditure is critical for both the economy and the railways to maintain infrastructure development.
The suggested plan for ramping up production of around 6500 aluminium coaches is ambitious since it anticipates increased freight due to increased bauxite loadings as well as lower power use for the lightweight, energy-efficient coaches.
India has a large bauxite deposit, and the country now produces 3.9 million tonnes of alumina and mines over 20 million tonnes of bauxite.
By December 2023, the railways will be completely electrified, and by 2030, they will be net-zero emissions.
With probable future increases in demand for both passenger and freight service, more electrified routes are likely to significantly increase power usage. As a result, in the next years, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness will be significant concerns for the railways.
Reduced tare weight is one of the strategies for lowering energy consumption in train operation. While railways are replacing ordinary steel with stainless steel in trailers, they are exploring using lightweight aluminium coaches instead of the heavier steel-bodied coaches in passenger trains.
This will benefit the railways in two ways: on the one hand, it will improve energy efficiency in passenger train operations and lower haulage costs; on the other hand, it will facilitate the mining of bauxite, which will be carried primarily as railway freight, according to a senior Railway Ministry official.
The spokesman went on to say that the Railways will save energy and make money by hauling freight.
The aluminium partnership would pave the way for additional lines to be laid to aluminium melting plants in bauxite-rich districts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.
While bauxite extraction will result in additional aluminium factories, aluminium used in the railways will result in more freight traffic, according to the official.
According to the proposal, newly electrified routes for bauxite transportation would be built in Koraput, Kalahandi, Kajipet, Bilaspur, Raigada, and Junagarh, among other places.
source https://www.alcircle.com/news/railway-budgets-recommends-mass-manufacture-of-aluminium-coaches-75500
Comments
Post a Comment