Virar car shed, where city locals get a 'second life'

Maintenance work underway at Virar car shed

The state-of-the-art technology at the Virar car shed gives the city's locals a complete makeover, cleaning everything from paan stains to gutkha sachets stuffed into door and window frames. High-tech scrubbers, jet cleaners and an automatic washing plant are put to use to spruce up the trains that arrive for regular maintenance.

Built in 2012, the Virar car shed is turning out to be the most advanced in the country, by bringing train maintenance time down to half, setting an example for other zones. The car shed is preparing to help WR get more AC local trains.

"There are technologies like simulators for train drivers on the Churchgate-Virar stretch, high-tech jet cleaners, floor washers and automatic washing plant where entire trains are scrubbed clean. The car shed has now been lined up for periodic overhaul activity, too, where trains are given a second life and completely redone and upgraded," Western Railway's chief public relations officer Ravinder Bhakar said.

Maintenance work underway at Virar car shed

At present, 20 trains are being maintained at Virar car shed. While Virar car shed manages to recycle more than half of the gutkha sachets, close to 5,000 litres of water are wasted to clean paan stains. "We appeal to the commuters to refrain from doing such things," said a senior official.

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