Vizag loco sheds bag national honours for maintenance excellence
The Electric Loco Shed (ELS) and the Diesel Loco Shed (DLS) of the Visakhapatnam Division, South Coast Railway, have been conferred national recognition for their performance in locomotive maintenance, finishing second in two categories at the all-India level.
The Electric Loco Shed was placed second in the “All India Best Loco Shed Homing Electric Coaching Locomotives” category, while the Diesel Loco Shed secured the second position in the “Best Diesel Shed Homing Diesel Locomotives” category.
The awards were conferred by the Member Traction Rolling Stock (MTRS), Railway Board, at the 43rd meeting of the Maintenance Standards Group — MSG (Loco) — held at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), Chittaranjan, on June 20.
According to railway officials, the recognition was based on key performance indicators, including high locomotive availability, reduced failure rates, improved reliability, and efficient manpower utilisation. The results, they said, reflect sustained operational discipline and strict adherence to prescribed safety standards.
Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra commended the staff of both sheds for their consistent efforts in improving operational efficiency and reliability. He attributed the achievement to the technical competence and dedication of the workforce, describing both as indispensable to the seamless functioning of train operations across the division.
Mr. Bohra called upon the teams to maintain their focus on safety, innovation, and timely maintenance, with a view to further improving service standards in the period ahead.
Senior officials and technical personnel were also recognised for their role in the achievement. Among those acknowledged were B. Shanmukha Rao, Senior DEE/TRS/VSKP; Shubham Saini, DEE/TRS/VSKP; Manoj Kumar Sahu, Senior DME/DLS; V. Srinivas, ADEE/DLS; and Sasidhar, ADME/DLS, in addition to supervisors and field staff whose coordination was cited as central to the division’s operational excellence.
The DRM observed that the recognition underscores the importance of inter-departmental coordination and affirmed the division’s commitment to upholding high standards in locomotive maintenance and rail operations.