Midnight maintenance holds the key to Metro Rail operations

Midnight maintenance holds the key to Metro Rail operations

L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad, which has built and runs the Hyderabad Metro Rail, has been running all 57 three-coach trains almost 18 hours a day/night for making about 1,000 trips, but ever wondered what happens post midnight and early dawn before the first trip rolls out of the depots of Uppal and Miyapur?

While the city sleeps, an army of engineers and technicians begin their meticulously choreographed maintenance operations to keep the systems ready for the next day with the aid of a stringent Master Maintenance Schedule (MMS).

It is planned by the Progress, Planning Investigation Office (PPIO) for each and every train set considering usage, component wear, and safety standards outlining a specific sequence of checks and repairs to be performed at predetermined intervals to minimise the risk of unexpected breakdowns, said senior Metro Rail officials.

First, the trains are transported to the depot and moved to the automatic wash plant, a state-of-the-art facility equipped with high-pressure jets and eco-friendly detergents with sensors and control systems, for a thorough external cleaning to prevent corrosion and for retaining the train’s aesthetic appeal.

The rigorous cleaning process includes daily internal cleaning, monthly roof and under-frame cleaning, and periodic deep cleaning. Specialised equipment, such as wheel lathes and underfloor inspection pits address specific maintenance tasks as technicians minutely examine critical components like brakes, traction motors, bogies, and air conditioning systems.

Advanced diagnostic tools are employed to identify potential issues before they can escalate into major problems. “We have a comprehensive maintenance hierarchy in place. Daily checks assess train condition and cleanliness, while ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ service checks delve deeper into the train’s systems at 15,000 km, 45,000 km, and 125,000 km intervals, respectively,” they said.

Daily checks are for identifying leaks, validating door functionality, and verifying brake performance. Brakes, couplers, pantographs (devices that collect current from the overhead wires), and traction motors (electric motors that propel the train) are examined. Lubricant levels are checked and topped up if necessary. In-depth and additional inspections are done during ‘B’ and ‘C’ checks.