Dear Friends,
A couple of my uncles used to work as linemen/line supervisors in the Indian Railways. They were responsible for track quality and maintenance planning. However, it was not an easy job. One of my uncles used to be a supervisor on the Araku (AP)–Kirandul (Chhattisgarh) track. Once, I visited that place as a child. I used to be fascinated by his job, watching him sit on a trolley as the gangmen pushed it. I thought it was a royal joy trip.
After many years, I heard that another uncle lost his life during this process. Then I realized how difficult this job is.
It works like this: a manual trolley (hand-pushed cart) is placed on the track. The supervisor sits on the trolley. 5–6 gangmen sit on the trolley. The wheels fit perfectly on the rails. One of them holds a handle attached to the trolley. He pushes and runs on the narrow rail at the same time. This helps to gain speed quickly. Once enough speed is built, the worker jumps onto the trolley and sits or stands with others. The trolley continues moving due to momentum. No pushing is needed for some distance. When the speed drops, another lineman jumps down, pushes again, and jumps back on. In fact, one of my uncles lost his life in the process due to an imbalance.
They used to work daily along assigned track sections (usually 5–10 km). They had to work in scorching heat (40°C+), sometimes in heavy rains, and sometimes in cold evenings. The responsibility was very high. Any small mistake could lead to major accidents. They needed to observe tiny cracks, loose fittings, and alignment issues. They followed hammer-sound testing and visual inspection. Indian Railways employs around 2.5 to 3 lakh track maintainers.
You may be wondering why I am raising this work now. An Indo-Russian consortium has bagged an Indian Railways contract worth ₹1,100 crore for track upkeep. The contract covers the supply of 18 self-propelled ultrasonic testing vehicles. These systems will use AI and machine learning tools to enhance diagnostic accuracy. These vehicles are equipped with sensors to detect microscopic fractures in rails before they become hazardous. Russia has one of the largest and harshest rail environments in the world. Their engineers are experts at maintaining tracks that can withstand extreme temperature fluctuations and heavy freight loads. As India targets the 160–200 km/h speed range for its premium trains, this is necessary.
Sometimes, I was unable to handle project pressures when I was working in software. Way back in 2006, I was the project manager for the Nokia website. During the Thanksgiving period, one of the modules was hanging. It was peak business season. If we did not get it up and running, we might have lost the contract. It took a big toll on me at that time. I really felt the pressure. Having said that, if I compare that with my uncle’s job, it was nothing.
A soldier in Siachen guarding our nation in -30°C to -40°C, a firefighter risking his/her life to rescue others, a honey collector climbing hills to bring sweetness to your home, a Swachh Sramik working in the mud to keep the world clean, a miner going deep into the dark to provide light for you, or a forest guard without protection safeguarding our green cover — these are real tough jobs.
Ravi Saripalle
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