Vijayawada Division Sets Record with 10.70 km Sleeper Renewal
DRM Sonakiya personally inspected the sites, attended Track Relaying Train (TRT) traffic blocks, and motivated the field staff, significantly boosting morale and driving efficiency.
Vijayawada: In a major infrastructural achievement, the Vijayawada Division (BZA) of South Central Railway has completed an unprecedented 10.70 km of Through Sleeper Renewal (TSR) in a single month in the ADEN/Eluru sub-division, marking the highest-ever monthly progress on the division’s trunk route without causing any train cancellations or diversions.
What makes the accomplishment even more remarkable is that the work was executed on the Vijayawada–Visakhapatnam (BZA–VSKP) main line, one of the busiest and most heavily utilised corridors of Indian Railways, where securing long track blocks and maintaining punctuality pose constant operational challenges.
The milestone was achieved under the proactive leadership of Mohit Sonakiya, divisional railway manager of Vijayawada, whose close monitoring, field inspections, and hands-on involvement ensured flawless coordination. DRM Sonakiya personally inspected the sites, attended Track Relaying Train (TRT) traffic blocks, and motivated the field staff, significantly boosting morale and driving efficiency.
Mohit Sonakiya explained that a hallmark of the achievement was the seamless teamwork among the engineering, operating, S&T, and TRD departments as their synchronised planning enabled smooth block arrangements and uninterrupted execution. He further explained that the operating department facilitated a record 28 traffic blocks during the month, the highest ever in the south central railway, and on two days, double blocks were arranged, reflecting exceptional operational planning.
The DRM pointed out that the specialised track relaying train played a crucial role, replacing grooved, ageing sleepers with wider-base sleepers weighing nearly 350 kg each. He noted that while such renewal would normally take over three months if done manually, the TRT enabled the division to complete the task within a single month—an extraordinary feat of speed and precision. He further noted that the engineering department ensured technical perfection at every stage, maintaining quality standards and uninterrupted progress throughout the operation.