Locomotives are amongst the important assets of Indian Railways and provide vital motive power for both passenger and freight train services. The timely availability and reliability of performance of locomotives are critical to the operation of train services. This in turn requires timely, regular and adequate maintenance. A Thematic Audit on the maintenance of locomotives in Indian Railways covering the period 2009-2012 was carried out during October 2012 to January 2013. Audit assessed the adequacy of infrastructure available for the repair of locomotives and its quality and efficiency.
Audit Findings:
Loco workshops/sheds provide maintenance to locomotives which ensure their availability and reliability of performance. Audit examination in October 2012 to January 2013 highlights that the quality of maintenance provided to the locomotives was poor. Sixty five per cent of the overhauled locomotives registered failure within 180 days of their Periodic Overhaul (POH). Further 17 to 20 per cent of them failed within one month of their POH. Further, the performance of locomotives was poor as test check revealed that the average number of unscheduled repairs per locomotives per annum was two and four for diesel and electrical locomotives respectively. This was much higher than the locomotive failure statistics reported by the Indian Railways. In addition, there were delays up to 360 days in sending locomotives to Workshops for their POH. The detention of locomotives during unscheduled repairs, their excess detention for completing maintenance/overhaul in
loco sheds /Workshops, their detention in yards awaiting POH/ after POH and the delays in sending dead locomotives to the sheds for repairs together resulted in loss of earning capacity of `733 crore. The performance of workshops/sheds is judged against the target fixed for the number of locomotives to be POHed/ repaired and their time frame. A test check of 28 loco sheds revealed that there was extra detention for completing scheduled maintenances and POH resulting in loss of earning capacity of `209.95 crore. Further, the excess detention of locomotives in yards (more than a day) prior to POH and after POH as well as delays in transfer of dead locomotives for repairs to the loco sheds resulted in estimated earnings loss of`241.33 crore.(Para 4.1 of 25 of 2013)
Centre Buffer Coupler (CBC) is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. Its components including knuckle, coupler body, coupler lock, coupler yoke etc. are safety items and procured by Zonal Railways from RDSO approved firms after inspection by RDSO. Whenever any portion of a train, while in motion, becomes detached, a parting occurs and results in loss of section capacity by way of disturbance to train operations, detention and consequential financial loss to the
Railways. Procurement of poor quality Centre Buffer Coupler (CBC) components from RDSO approved firms with poor past performance led to train partings and consequential estimated loss of 125.27 crore.(Para 4.2 of 25 of 2013)
Railway Board decided (2007) to manufacture new type of coaches (SGSS Hybrid coaches) having Stainless Steel shells of LHB design of ICF bogies. IFC planned to manufacture 303 coaches in 2009-10. Audit, in February 2012, observed that due to lapses in planning only 29 shells could be manufactured up to March 2012 and material worth 44.04 crore procured for specific work remained unutilized. Railway Board has stopped the production of such coaches (August 2011). (Para 4.3 of 25 of 2013)
Inordinate delay in commissioning of Oxygen Lancing System resulted in idling of an asset for which payment of `7.30 crore had been made and non- realization of anticipated savings of `15.20 crore up to July 2012. (Para 4.4 of 25 of 2013)
For the detailed Audit Report please check:
click hereThis is Page 154 under the CONTENTS with the heading "Summary of Audit Observations provided by C&AG and ATNs"
Contents Page of Annual Reports & Accounts -2013-14 of IR:
click here(I have attached the 10 Page PDF Document of "Summary of Audit Observations provided by C&AG and ATNs"with this blog)
Attached Image:
CNB WAP-4 22552
Link:
click here 
