• The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Division (DDU) of East Central Railway  achieved a new milestone by successfully operating ‘Rudrastra’, a 4.5 km long freight train.

• Rudrastra is Asia’s longest freight train, according to records of the Railways.

• The trial run was conducted from the Ganjkhwaja railway station in Chandauli to Garhwa in Jharkhand, covering a distance of 209 km in 5 hours 10 minutes at an average speed of 40.50 km per hour.

• Rudrastra was prepared by adding three long haul (two goods trains each) racks. A total of 345 wagons were included in it, with 72 tonnes of goods loaded in one empty wagon.

• Two engines were attached in front and one with each rack after every 59 bogeys. In all, seven engines were used. One rack had 59 bogeys. 

• In a way, five goods trains were lined up one after the other with the first goods train having two engines.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)