Page 70 - Sattva_2025

Track Maintenance:

A Balance of Durability, Safety & Performance

JASEEM J

DGM (Track)

Metro track maintenance is fundamental to the safe, smooth, and uninterrupted
functioning of rail operations. At KMRL, O&M Track department oversees the upkeep

of 28.2 km of mainline and 7.8 km of depot track. The alignment poses significant

engineering challenges — with 60% of the track on curves, 24 of which have a radius
sharper than 190 meters. Additionally, gradients up to 4% and dense station intervals

demand continuous monitoring and timely intervention to ensure passenger safety and
ride quality.

Maintenance Philosophy

KMRL has adopted a hybrid maintenance model, combining in-house technical

expertise with outsourced execution of non-core functions. Safety-critical operations
such as basic track inspections, geometry measurement and emergency monitoring

are carried out by the in-house team. This ensures that the most sensitive tasks remain
under direct engineering control. Labour-intensive and repetitive activities such as

greasing, retrofitting, ballast packing, turnout attention, track overhauling are

outsourced.

Key Innovations and Initiatives

Rail Grinding Campaign: Eliminating Corrugation for Enhanced Ride Quality

A dedicated rail grinding works campaign was undertaken with Rail Grinding Machine
to mitigate rail corrugation – a common surface defect on curved tracks. Corrugation

was identified as a root cause of excessive noise, vibration, and accelerated rolling
stock wear. Multiple grinding passes were applied on the most affected curves to fully

eliminate the corrugation. Additionally, platform lines and turnout areas were
specifically addressed. Post-grinding assessments consistently revealed a marked

improvement in the rail profile, leading directly to enhanced ride comfort for
passengers and increased track longevity for the infrastructure.