By 2022 the Indian railways are planning to electrify its entire broad gauge network and thus the first electric loco shed in Karnataka and the South Western Railways (SWR) is likely to be commissioned by next year.
E Vijaya, the SWR Public Relations Officer, has confirmed that the work to convert the diesel loco shed to an electric loco shed in Krishnarahapuram (KR Puram) is expected to be completed by August 2020. On Friday, the Railway Board has also decided to transfer the five electric locomotives from Royapuram to KR Puram.
While the full-fledged facility is likely to come up by August 2020, maintenance of these five electric locomotives will be done with skeletal facilities.
Vijaya also added that there are only 2 loco shed in the South Western Railway (SWR) which is Bengaluru and Hubli. Once the electric loco comes, the KR Puram shed is going to be the first to maintain electric locos in Karnataka.
The KR Puram shed is spread across 25 acres of land and is currently maintaining 206 diesel locomotives. The shed was set up in 1983 for major and minor maintenance schedules of diesel locomotives.
The
electrification project includes a 50x10m repair bay, 40mx11m light repair bay,
and provision of a spare spur line of two loco lengths to park the locomotives
and overhead traction.