East Coast Railway commissioned an automatic coach washing plant at Puri Coaching Depot. The depot senses the motion of an incoming train helps to minimise time, water and manpower to complete the washing process of trains effectively.
According to OrissaPost report, the plant operates automatically upon sensing the movement of the train rake through the unit. A full rake will take maximum 5-7 minutes for complete washing. Washing takes place in many states. In the first stage, pre-wetting is done by treated water followed by detergent spray and water brushing. It is then followed by disc brush cleaning followed by soft water cleaning. In the end, RO spray is done.
The plant is equipped with a captive effluent treatment plant where the used water is treated and the final discharge from the ETP meets the environment norms. The unit has a water treatment plant, ETP, Control Room for central monitoring. It used vertical and disc brushes, high or nozzle, and air blower. Due to the automation and efficiency of the plant. It is expected that this will lead to saving revenue in external washing cost for the depot.
The plant utilises less water compared to manual washing resulting in a saving of million litres of freshwater every year. It was commissioned in November 2020. The Automatic Coach Washing Plant is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective option and a great step towards automation in train maintenance.
