Two diesel locomotives were commissioned at the Locomotive Shed of the Traffic & Raw Material (T&RM) Department, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on 1st June 2026.
The locomotives were formally commissioned by Mr. Biswaranjam Palai, Executive Director (Works). The ceremony was attended by Mr. Atish Chandra Sarkar, CGM Incharge (Services), Mr. S.S. Roy Choudhury, CGM (Maintenance), Mr. Deepak Roy, CGM (Electrical), Mr. Kaushik Sunyani, CGM (Traffic) and a number of senior executives and employees of the T&RM department.
Of the two locomotives, RSP call no. 1428 has been recommissioned after undergoing its first Periodic Overhaul (POH) at Golden Rock Workshop, Trichy, Indian Railways.
Originally commissioned at RSP in 2009, this loco was sent for POH on 23rd October 2025 and returned on 28 April 2026.
The provisional cost of the POH is Rs. 4.40 crore. Golden Rock’s comprehensive POH process, typically carried out every 8–9 years for this class of locomotive that includes complete dismantling, engine block servicing, cylinder head and crankshaft repair or replacement, overhaul of compressor, alternator and rectifier, undercarriage and traction motor repairs, wheel turning or replacement as required, load testing and full body repainting.
On average, three RSP locomotives are sent to Golden Rock for POH each year. The POH restores the locomotive to near-new condition and is expected to extend its service life by a further 8–9 years.
The second locomotive, RSP call no. 1431, is a brand-new unit sourced from M/s Banaras Locomotive Works, Indian Railways, at a cost of Rs. 10.63 crore.
With the induction of these two locomotives into RSP’s fleet, locomotive reliability and availability for trouble-free operations both inside and outside the plant are expected to improve significantly.
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