Research and Development

Research, Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), the R&D

Organisation of Indian Railways, functions as the technical adviser
to Railway Board, Zonal Railways and Production Units. Its
manifold achievements in developing new and improved designs
and adopting new technologies for use on IR have attracted
world-wide attention. RDSO is striving to achieve breakthroughs
which would have a significant impact on infrastructure, rolling
stock and operating framework of IR.
Some of the major activities and projects undertaken/
completed by RDSO during the year are given below:
Safety:
 Development of a new crashworthy design of 4500 HP
WDG4 locomotive incorporating new technology to improve
dynamic braking and attain significant fuel savings.
 Development of Drivers’ Vigilance Telemetric Control System
which directly measures and analyzes variations in biometric
parameters to determine the state of alertness of the driver.
 Development of Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
 Development of Computer Aided Drivers Aptitude test
equipment for screening high speed train drivers for Rajdhani/
Shatabdi Express trains to evaluate their reaction time, form
perception, vigilance and speed anticipation.
 Assessment of residual fatigue life of critical railway
components like rail, rail weld, wheels, cylinder head, OHE
mast, catenary wire, contact wire, wagon components, low
components, etc. to formulate remedial actions.
 Modification of specification of Electric Lifting Barrier to
improve its strength and reliability.
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 Design and development of modern fault tolerant, fail-safe,
maintainer friendly Electronic Interlocking system.
Passenger Amenities:
 Development of 4500 HP Hotel Load Locomotive to
provide clean and noise free power supply to coaches from
locomotive to eliminate the existing generator car of Garib
Rath express trains.
 Field trials conducted for electric locomotive hauling
Rajdhani/Shatabdi express trains with Head On Generation
(HOG) system to provide clean and noise free power supply
to end on coaches.
 Development of WiMAX technology to provide internet
access to the passengers in running trains.
Infrastructure:
 Redesigning of Traction Sub Station (TSS) Layout which can
be accommodated in smaller footprint.

Inside view of Taj Commonwealth Games Express train introduce to run

between New Delhi.

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 Setting up of XRD testing facilities for porcelain insulators.
 Development of Internet Protocol (IP) Based train control
communication system.
 Development of Lightning & Surge Protection and
Earthing Arrangement for Signal and Telecommunication
equipments.
 Development of non-metallic Telecom Cable Termination
box.
 Development of track side bogie monitoring system to
monitor bearing and bogie condition.
 Development of technology in collaboration with Indian
Institute of Technology to measure wheel dynamic calibration
Rolling Rig.
 Development of 500t Universal Spring structure fatigue
testing machine.
Operational Efficacy:
 Design and development of 5000 HP WDG5 diesel
locomotive for faster, longer and heavier trains.
 Development of improved rubber side bearer for locomotive
bogies to improve fatigue life and reliability.
 Framing of technical specification of Guidance for
Optimised Loco Driving (GOLD) - an in-cab service system
– to help loco pilot to save fuel.
 Trial of modified bogie for WDP1 locomotive incorporating
certain changes to make it reliable and maintenance
friendly.
 Design and development of high performance fuel-efficient
2300 HP freight/industrial/shunting locomotive (WDS7A).
 Development of GPS based Destination Board Display-
cum-Passenger Information System (Audio & Visual) for BG
DEMUs for passenger convenience.

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 Development of oil free compressors for electric locomotives
to attain reduced maintenance cost and down time locos,
etc.
 Development of Roof Mounted Force Cooled Dynamic
Braking Resistors for AC electric locomotives.
 Development of air operated Pantograph, with distinct
advantage of light weight, improved dynamic behaviour and
low maintenance free operation.
 Development of stranded type galvanized steel traction bond
and galvanized steel stranded wire for theft prone areas.
 Development of Block Proving by Axle Counter to reduce
human dependence in train operation and improve safety.
Indigenous Development:

 Development of Transformer Tank for 3-phase electric

locomotives to eliminate dependence on import.
 Development of indigenous CCC Rod for manufacture of
107 square mm contact wire.
 Development, installation and commissioning of user-friendly
software consisting of mind games for sharpening mental
skills and safety aptitude for hands-on-practice for trainees.
Inspection & Quality Audit:

 Inspection of fabrication of 27,770 MT of steel girders.

 Inspection and quality audit for various geotechnical problems
and issue of consultancies to various Zonal Railways.
 Inspection of various developmental items like welded
components of steel bridges and quality audit on ultrasonic
testing of axles, etc.

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Consultancy:
 Review of Equipment Ratings of Traction Sub-station.
 Consultancy on design tools for checking the design adequacy
of straight alignment bridges for use on curvatures up to
3 degrees.
 Consultancy for addressing failure of cross girder of rail-cum-
road bridge on river Ganga near Mokama.
 Consultancies suggesting remedial measures for
rehabilitation of weak formations.
Tests and Trials:
 Prototype of four-wheeler tower wagon for preventive
maintenance of overhead equipment approved and regular
inspection and dispatch clearance accorded.
 Trials conducted to evaluate effectiveness of mobile jammers
for locomotives along with GPS based speed sensing device
to activate the jammers.
 Field trials conducted for guidelines and specifications of
design of formation for heavy Axle Load.
 Fatigue testing of newly designed monoblock pre-stressed
concrete sleepers.
 Fatigue testing of composite sleepers for 2.0 million cycles of
loading.
 Fatigue and bending test of joggled fish plate.

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