How coaches are attended in a pitline? Coaching depot staff share their experience

Mr.E.Kumar, a Senior Section Engineer and Mr. S.Gunasekaran, a Technician at Coach Maintenance Depot, Basin Bridge proudly share that they go that extra mile to take care of ‘their families’ and ensure them safer journeys. By ‘their families’, they mean the passengers who are going to undertake journey in the coach that they are maintaining in the pitline. Pitline is an infrastructural requirement where tracks are laid with facility of pit for technical staff to undertake undergear examination of the coaches. Notwithstanding hot weather, rains and other vagaries of nature, the coach maintenance gang and pitline crew work round the clock. Every aspect of the coach working is thoroughly scrutinized and no defect goes unnoticed at the coaching depots. Working under Mechanical Department, their sole motto is to ensure proper maintenance of rolling stock with utmost care and dedication and ensuring clean exterior and interiors.

Primary maintenance and secondary maintenance of full rake of train is done after it is placed on a pitline. Here in the pitline, the maintenance gang of Mechanical department undertake inspection, testing and attention of all the visual components both visually and using inspection gauge and tools to ensure safety of the whole train. They examine all the vital safety components like underframe & bogie components, running gear, suspension gear, buffer gear, brake gear etc., They also check the window shutter, fastenings, main door, toilet door, bio-toilets and all other toilet fittings. All the maintenance activities are done in accordance with the guidelines given in the coach maintenance manual issued by Railway Board. Exterior and interior washing of all coaches are also undertaken while the rake is placed in a pitline. Equipment like high pressure jet, scrubbing machine , vacuum cleaner, blower etc. are used for washing. To facilitate cleaning a catwalk arrangement similar to a platform is also made in a pitline.
On an average the coach maintenance crew complete the task of primary maintenance for a rake in 6 hours. Normally, a team of 15 depot staff will undertake the task of primary/secondary maintenance in a pitline.