Indian railways launches two long haul freight trains 'Trishul', 'Garuda' – Know details

IndianThe Indian Railways on October 7, 2021, successfully launched and operated two long-haul freight trains named Trishul and Garuda for the first time over South Central Railway. Both the long-haul freight trains include empty open wagons for loading coal meant for thermal power plants. These trains are twice or multiple times longer than the normal freight trains. These two long-haul freight trains will aid in providing an effective solution to the problem of capacity constraints in critical rail sections.

Indian Railways launches two long haul freight trains named Trishul and Garuda

Trishul is the first long-haul freight train of South Central Railway that has 177 wagons. It was launched on October 7 from the Kondapalli station of the Vijayawada division to the Khurda division of the East Coast Railway.

The following day on October 8, South Central Railway operated another similar freight train named Garuda from Raichur of Guntakal division to Manuguru of Secunderabad division.

South Central Railway zone

South Central Railway zone is one of the five major freight loading railway zones on the Indian Railways network. Much of the freight traffic on the South Central Railway zone moves in a certain arterial route such as Vijayawada-Guntur-Guntakal, Kazipet-Secunderabad-Wadi, Ballarshah-Kazipet-Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada-Gudur-Renigunta sections.

Long haul trains operations in Indian Railways – Background

The Indian Railways has been trying to run long-haul trains since 1985. Long haul trains are an innovative solution and operational method of Indian Railways to overcome the constraints of congestion on various important routes so that traffic demands can be met especially within non-commissioning of Dedicated Freight Corridor.

The long haul trains offer several operational benefits such as quicker transit time, reducing congestion on busy routes, maximize throughput of critical sections, saving in crews, and serve freight customers better.

In 2011, a Committee was set up to suggest means for running long haul trains, both in empty, loaded, and loaded/empty conditions.

In January 2021, PM Narendra Modi flagged off India’s first double-stack long-haul container train from New Ateli in Haryana to New Kishanganj in Rajasthan.