Railways develops anti-freeze flushes and fuel tanks for journeys in J&K

Source: The post is based on the article “Railways develops anti-freeze flushes and fuel tanks for journeys in J&K” published in “The Hindu” on 16th October 2023

What is the News?

Indian Railways is constructing the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. 

But the project is facing challenges due to sub-zero temperatures in the Jammu and Kashmir region during winter.Due to this, water and fuel in train systems can freeze, causing problems for toilets, taps and safety.

What is Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project?

Source: Indian Express

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link Project(USBRL) is 272 km-long. The project connects Udhampur to Baramulla.

It aims to connect Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country by a railway line.

It includes 38 tunnels with a combined length of 119 kilometers.The longest tunnel in the project is Tunnel T-49, which is 12.75 kilometers long making it India’s longest transportation tunnel.

There are 927 bridges in total.One of the bridges is Chenab Bridge which will be the highest railway bridge in the world.

Indian railway’s first cable-stayed bridge is also being constructed on Anji Khad.

How is Indian Railways planning to overcome challenges in constructing Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project?

Engineers at the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) have developed indigenous innovations to address these challenges.

Preventing Water Freezing: It has designed double-walled composite insulated water tanks with capacities ranging from 450 to 685 liters.

– These tanks have a design similar to thermoplastic bottles, with two walls and a foam insulation layer that traps air.

– This can keep water in liquid form for 16 to 20 hours, even in sub-zero conditions, ensuring toilets and taps function properly.

Dealing with Frozen Supply Pipelines: To prevent water in supply pipelines from freezing, RCF adopted technology from the defense services.

– They are using heated pipes with a distributed heating system covered by insulation. This technology maintains water in a liquid state at temperatures between five to eight degrees Celsius.

Efficient Energy Use: Geysers are installed at the point of use in toilets, ensuring that only the necessary amount of water is heated, reducing energy wastage.