Electric Loco Shed, Ajni Explained

Electric Loco Shed, Ajni
Image Upright:1.25
Image Alt:The shed is located near Ajni railway station.
Map Type:India Maharashtra
Coordinates:21.1172°N 79.082°W
Map Size:250
Location:Ajni, Nagpur, Maharashtra
Owner:Indian Railways
Operator:Central Railways
Depotcode:AQ
Type:Engine shed
Roads:6
Rollingstock:WAP-7
WAG-9
Former Rolling Stock:WAM-4
WAG-7
WCAM-2

Electric Loco Shed, Ajni is a motive power depot performing locomotive maintenance and repair facility for electric locomotives of the Indian Railways, under its of the Central Railway division, located in, Nagpur in Maharashtra, India. It is one of the three electric locomotive sheds of the Central Railway, the others being at Kalyan (KYN) and Bhusawal. As of November 2023, there are 246 locomotives in the shed.[1]

History

After Central Railway set a deadline to eliminate all steam locomotive operations by 1990, a push was given towards establishing electric locomotion as the primary motive power, and the steam locomotive sheds were decommissioned.[2] To meet the needs of exponentially increasing rail traffic on the new continuous broad-gauge lines from Odisha to rest of India with the completion of gauge conversion, the Ajni was selected by Indian Railways for a new electric locomotive shed.[3]

In the late 2003 WAM-4 were introduced which stayed until late 2000, when they were transferred to Itarsi It later got a large fleet of WAG-7 locos from other sheds.[4]

Operations

Being one of the three electric engine sheds in Central Railway, various major and minor maintenance schedules of electric locomotives are carried out here. It has the sanctioned capacity of 200 engine units. Beyond the operating capacity, this shed houses a total of 284 engine units,all WAP-7 units. It also housed a few WAM-4 locomotives temporarily.[5] Electric loco Shed, Ajni is now housing a large fleet of WAP-7 in Indian Railways and it caters to many long-distance electric trains.[6] [7]

Like all locomotive sheds, AJNI does regular maintenance, overhaul and repair including painting and washing of locomotives. It not only attends to locomotives housed at AJNI but to ones coming in from other sheds as well. It has four pit lines for loco repair. Locomotives of Ajni ELS along with Itarsi ELS were the regular links for all trains running through maharashtra when widespread electrification of railway lines started in East coast Railways. AJNI locomotives are also used for Rajdhani trains as well.

Livery and markings

Ajni WAP-7 has Haldiram's Sweets & Namkeens advertised on loco's body side.

Ajni locomotives have a standardized livery all over India.

Locomotives

SNType of LocoHPHolding
1.WAP-7635068
2.WAG-96120229
Total locomotives active as of August 2024297

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: e-Locos.
  2. Web site: Report of the Expert Committee on Coal Consumption on Railways, 1958. 2020-04-29. INDIAN CULTURE.
  3. Web site: Electric loco shed location. 2016-11-23.
  4. Web site: Nov 2019 Locomotive Holding list.
  5. Web site: Indian Railway-shed wise engine.holdings. 2016-11-23. 1.
  6. News: fleets under sheds. 2016-11-23.
  7. Web site: List of Locos in amgul. 2016-11-23.