Govt notifies new dedicated testing track for railways in Rajasthan, gives it status of special project

Soon, the railways will conduct trials of its new trains and technology on a 40-km exclusive testing track in Rajasthan which has now been given the status of a 'special railway project' by the Centre.
Once completed, India will enter the league of countries like the United States, Germany, China and Australia that have dedicated tracks for train trials.

In a notification dated January 21 the Centre notified the project, the first such track in the country, as a special railway project, thus fast tracking its construction.

Special railway project means a project, notified as such by the central government from time to time, for providing national infrastructure for a public purpose in a specified time-frame. Getting the special project tag helps with faster land acquisition for it.

The dedicated track, to be built between Gudha and Thathana Mithri stations in Jodhpur Division of North Western Railway, will be used to conduct tests like coupler force trials, oscillation trials and emergency braking distance trials, which are necessary for safety of passengers and goods.

In the first phase, a 25-km track will be constructed, a straight track of about 20 km and the rest will be a curved track of radius 1750 m and 875 m, at a cost of Rs 4 billion, an official said.

The test track will have all the specifications of a normal track which will include bridges, curves and even speed restrictions at certain areas.

At present, the railways is conducting tests of all its locomotives, wagons and equipment on commercial railway tracks which raises a lot of questions on the issue of safety.

"Testing a new technology or train on a dedicated track is like conducting an experiment in a laboratory. This will be an all weather track and will have all the prerequisites of a regular track," said the official.