Indian Railways to host IHHA Conference
The 10th International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA) Conference will be hosted by the Indian Railways in New Delhi. The conference is held once in every 4 years. The last conference was organized in Shanghai China in 2009.
The Conference provides a platform for railway researchers, practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders from across the globe to share their knowledge and experience and perhaps explore new possibilities in heavy haul railway operation. The central theme of the conference is “Building Transport Capacity through Heavy Haul Operation”.
Heavy haul rail operation has evolved over the years as a technology to transport bulk commodities in large volumes and reduce the unit cost of transportation. Heavy haul envisages increased axle load of 24 tonnes and above. Train lengths have also enhanced up to 4 km. The trailing train loads vary from 10,000 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes.
About IHHA:
IHHA is a global non-government; scientific and technological association of Heavy Haul Railways incorporated in USA and is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in Heavy Haul operation, Engineering, maintenance and technology.
IHHA Member Nations
India, USA, Canada, Brazil, Russia, China Sweden, South Africa, and Australia.
India’s progress:
Indian Railways have launched a huge programme of building Heavy Haul Lines having potential axle load of 32.5 tonnes under the programme name Dedicated Freight Corridors.
What is Axle load?
The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight felt by the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. It can also be seen as the fraction of total vehicle weight resting on a given axle.
What is the importance of considering axle load?
Axle load is an important design consideration in the engineering of roadways and railways, as both are designed to tolerate a maximum weight-per-axle (axle load); exceeding the maximum rated axle load will cause damage to the roadway or rail tracks.
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Month: Current Affairs - February, 2013
Category: Important Days & Events Current Affairs