Bereket Locomotive depot to increase economic efficiency of North – South transport corridor

Opening ceremony of new locomotive depot built under the activities for optimization of transport process on Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran railroad, which is the golden link of transcontinental transport corridor North – South, took place at Bereket railway station. 

Representatives of velayat and etrap hyakimliks, railroad industry, labour collectives, non-governmental organizations, honoured elders and youth, famous political scientists and mass media took part in the event. 

The opening of locomotive depot at the main railroad junction of North – South transport corridor will allow to bring technical service and operation of the locomotives, organization of maintenance service to new level as well as to improve the use of the fleet and to increase economic efficiency of this line. 

Locomotive management is one of the key segments of railroad industry of Turkmenistan. Its efficient and reliable work stipulate accurate schedule of domestic and international passenger and cargo traffic, quality of service and stability of economic indices of the Ministry of Railroad Transport of the Country. For January - September of 2017, the volume of cargo traffic increased to 8.2 percent comparing with the same period of 2016. Prevailing part of transit cargoes are transported via the railroad. This index is 62 percent from the beginning of the year. 

Today, when large international transport project are realized by the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and new railroads are built, the locomotive management is also under transformation, which has to result in considerable increase of transit, export and import traffic. 

Bereket station is an important junction of transnational railroad Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran and the opening of locomotive depot there will allow increasing the efficiency of locomotives and teams as well as making comfort conditions of work for people involved in the process of provision of safety of train traffic. 

Modern trends of the development of railroad transport are related with complications of the construction of tractive rolling stock, high intensity of train traffic and large expenses for repair of the locomotive. Efficient service and maintenance organization is an important factor in provision of reliability of the traffic. 

Bereket locomotive depot has all capabilities for this including advanced technical diagnostic means providing reliability of control, measuring and inspection of facilities, detection of malfunctions as well as lifting, transporting, machine and technology equipment, displays and testing premises. 

New facility is made in a way to involve maximally its production powers and create the best conditions for repair of rolling stock, its units, assemblies and parts. Large attention was paid to compliance of the requirements of working processes stipulating the health and safety first of all, which Leader of the Nation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov puts as indispensable condition of all modern productions. 

Bereket locomotive depot allows making technical service for prevention of the malfunctions and support of operation, accuracy and sanitary and hygiene condition of trains, lubrication of moving parts during the maintenance, special control of drive trains, breaking equipment, speedometers, radio and communication equipment providing the safety of railway traffic. 

Modern equipment of the enterprises allows making repair for reconstruction of the main operation features by replacement and rehabilitation of certain parts, units and assemblies as well as reliable fixation of all connections and uninterrupted power supply in units. 

Depending on the type of failure, the depot has several workshops for different works. Generally, it has the facility for current repair of 210 locomotives. There are also two facilities for technical service of 385 and 10350 locomotives per year. 

The workshops of the depot are provided with lifting and repair equipment tools for dismantling and assembly of electrical engines, lathe machines, wheels turning tools, for 40 tons jacks, welding and charging machines, testing displays for locomotive units and other. 

Besides the workshops, there are special installations for washing of the locomotives, removal of soot, heavy oil sedimentations from the parts of the engines and rheostat testing, diesel generator station, storage for water, fuel and lubricants, sand drying equipment, powerful steam exhausts. 

Thus, application of progressive technologies and modern equipment of Bereket depot allows the provision of modern and quality technical services and maintenance of rolling stock, the reliability of the fleet in operation, which is one of the important objectives of railroad transport, which is paid with the great attention by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in creation of ramified international logistic system. 

The depot also has two-storey administration building, facilities of engineering infrastructure, locomotives turnover points, recreation facility and sport ground. 

Besides the production aspects, new structure of railroad industry has another important purpose – it created more than 600 working occupancies. 

Modernization of locomotive park of railroad branch of the country is continued. Recently, new stimulator of operation of the locomotives has been installed at Ashgabat section of the railroad. Training simulator is designed for improved professional training of the operators, training of rational operation and development of coordination skills with personnel of railway station. 

Bereket railway station with locomotive depot located at Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran railroad is very important for efficient use of this line in interregional transit and transport communication of the Eurasia and for improvement of trade and economic relations between the countries of the continent.