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| 06-08-2026 | |
| Northern Railway Resolves Long-Standing Locomotive Stalling Issue at Delhi's OHE Dead Zones | |
A Mission-Mode Technical Initiative Enhances Reliability and Improves Mobility of Trains in Delhi area
In a significant engineering achievement, Northern Railway has successfully resolved a long-standing operational issue that caused electric locomotives to stall in the Overhead Equipment (OHE) dead zones beneath Dufferin Bridge and Pull Mithai in Delhi Division, substantially improving the reliability of train operations.
For several years, these locations had posed a unique operational challenge due to restricted bridge headroom, which necessitated OHE dead zones of over 50 metres each. Locomotives occasionally lost power and got stuck while traversing these dead zones, resulting in train detentions and disruption to operations in one of the busiest railway corridors of the country.
Recognizing the importance of the issue, Northern Railway launched a Mission Mode initiative in April 2026 to identify and eliminate the root cause. Northern Railway in close coordination with the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), and Knorr-Bremse India Ltd. (KBIL) carried out an extensive technical investigation and root cause analysis.
The investigation revealed that voltage surges generated during Vacuum Circuit Breaker (VCB) switching were triggering unintended emergency brake applications in locomotives equipped with the CCB 2.0 braking system. Based on these findings, KBIL developed an upgraded Electronic Vigilance Controller (EVC) software, which effectively eliminated the problem.
The enhanced software has already been installed in over600 electric locomotives across Indian Railways. No recurrence of locomotive stalling has been reported in any upgraded locomotive, validating the effectiveness of the solution. The balance fleet of locomotives is being progressively upgraded by KBIL teams across various locomotive sheds.
This accomplishment demonstrates the effectiveness of data-driven engineering, collaborative problem-solving and rapid implementation of corrective measures approach of Northern Railways and resolve to improve reliability and punctuality of trains. By combining systematic investigation with close coordination among Railway engineers, RDSO and industry partners, Northern Railway has transformed a persistent operational challenge into a sustainable technical solution.
The successful resolution of this issue has significantly improved operational reliability, reduced train detentions, enhanced punctuality, and improve mobility of electric train operations in the Delhi area, reaffirming Indian Railways' commitment to continuous technological innovation and excellence in passenger service.