Shortage of spare parts affects bogie repair

KOCHI: Shortage of spare parts and mechanical staff in the Thiruvananthapuram division of the Southern Railway is affecting the proper maintenance of coaches of trains.According to the Railway staff at the Ernakulam Marshalling Yard, though the authorities have been intimated about the shortage of spare parts, there has only been a lukewarm response from them.“The shortage of spare parts has become a grave problem, because of which we have been forced to depend on the old and worn-out safety parts that have been discarded from old and ‘unfit’ trains. There are also days when we have to remove the bolts and brakes from the unfit bogies and use them for the bogies to be attached to trains carrying passengers. And, whenever the higher authorities are informed of the shortage, they tell us that the spare parts would be immediately sanctioned. Except for making a few spare parts available, nothing has been done for so many days,” they said.Sources said the Railway authorities had admitted that the shortage was due to financial crunch which had caused the shortage. To make matters worse, it is also alleged that Deputy  Mechanical Engineers give a ‘fitness certificate’ for bogies that fail to pass the fitness test.“The higher officers also insist on fitting worn-out spare parts,” the sources said. Most of the days, the coaches which are unfit for journey are pressed into service. “In almost every train, there is at least one bogie which has a brake failure or a loose bolt. This is very dangerous,” sources said.The situation has become worse as new trains such as the Duronto and Bilaspur Express have been introduced in the division. The spare parts include brake bolts, door locks, wheels, bolts and nuts which are the most vital equipment needed for the maintenance of the trains.A senior officer at the Railway office in Thiruvananthapuram said that they were aware of the shortage of spare parts. However, Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer Venugopal said: “Nothing of this sort is happening. There are sufficient spare parts available to meet the demand.” The only shortage occurs when there is failure in delivery of spare parts, he said.