The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : SCR’s novel vehicle to be stationed at Vijayawada

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Friday, Nov 06, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

SCR’s novel vehicle to be stationed at Vijayawada

S. Harpal Singh

ADILABAD: The rail-bus is passe. Indian Railways now has the ‘rail-cum-road vehicle’ that will be used by senior railway officials who go on inspection tours.

The surface transport giant has inducted nine rail-cum-road vehicles (RCRV) that have been modified at the DWM Patiala. The South Central Railways got one such vehicle that will be stationed at its Vijayawada division.

As the name indicates, this brown and yellow vehicle can ply both on the road and the rails, as it is fitted with pneumatic tyres as well as the wheels of a train.

The crew of this duel purpose vehicle who spoke to The Hindu during their stopover in Adilabad town en route Vijayawada say, the vehicle weighs over nine tonnes and runs at a maximum speed of 40 kms on rails.

Explaining its working, driver T. Tata Rao says the RCRV can be put on rails only at level-crossings. “Officers travel in the air-conditioned RCRV saloon.

The vehicle can be used only when a ‘line block’ is observed. While on track, the steering of the vehicle is locked. The tyres of the saloon cannot be retracted like the iron wheels. As the tyres touch the rails when the vehicle is moving, the tyre brakes are used to stop it”, he says.

The crew of the RCRV consists of a driver and a khalasi, in this instance Sk. Mastan, also of SCR Vijayawada division.

They were initially trained for a week over the vehicle, followed by another four-day stint at Patiala.

They This rather slow-moving vehicle is expected to reach Vijayawada on November 6.

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