Electric Loco Shed, Visakhapatnam

Electric Loco Shed, Visakhapatnam

File:VSKP WAG5 Ghost.jpg VSKP based WAG-5 in ghost livery.
Location within Andhra Pradesh
Location
Location	Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Coordinates	17°43′20″N 83°17′23″E
Characteristics
Owner	Indian Railways
Operator	East Coast Railway zone
Depot code	VSKP
Type	Engine shed
Roads	7
Rolling stock	WAP-4 WAP-7 WAG-5 WAG-6 WAG-9
History
Opened	1982 (1982)
Former rolling stock	WAM-4

Electric Loco Shed, Visakhapatnam is a motive power depot performing locomotive maintenance and repair facility for electric locomotives of the Indian Railways, located at Visakhapatnam of the East Coast Railway zone in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is one of the two electric loco sheds in the East Coast railway zone the other being at Angul (ANGL).

History

After East Coast Railway set a deadline to eliminate all steam locomotive operations by 1990, a push was given towards establishing electric locomotion as the primary motive power, and the steam locomotive sheds were decommissioned. To meet the needs of exponentially increasing rail traffic on the new continuous broad-gauge lines from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to rest of India, the Visakhapatnam was selected by Indian Railways for a new electric locomotive shed. Electric Loco Shed Visakhapatnam was commissioned in December 1982 with a holding of 30 Electric locomotives as a captive Loco shed for Kottavalasa-Kirandul line.There was steady increase in the loco holding due to increase in traffic demand over the years thereafter for transporting the iron ore from Baliadilla mines to Visakhapatnam port. During 1988, a fleet of 18 locomotives WAG-6 of 6000 HP having a number of special improved features with state-of-the-art technology were imported from Sweden (6locomotives/ABB make) and from Japan (12 locomotives/Hitachi make) to add to the fleet of indigenous locomotives.

Operations

Being one of the two electric engine sheds in East Coast Railway, various major and minor maintenance schedules of electric locomotives are carried out here. It has the sanctioned capacity of 175 engine units. Beyond the operating capacity, this shed houses a total of 320 engine units, including 21 WAP-4, 35 WAP-7, 83 WAG-5, 9 WAG-6 and 172 WAG-9. Electric loco Shed, Visakhapatnam is now housing a large fleet of WAG-9 in Indian Railways and it caters to many long-distance electric freight trains.

Like all locomotive sheds, VSKP does regular maintenance, overhaul and repair including painting and washing of locomotives. It not only attends to locomotives housed at VSKP but to ones coming in from other sheds as well. It has four pit lines for loco repair. Locomotives of Visakhapatnam ELS were the regular links for all trains running through Andhra Pradesh when widespread electrification of railway lines started in East Coast Railways. It handled prestigious trains like East Coast Express (India), Hirakud Express, Garib Rath Express and many more.

Livery & Markings

VSKP ELS has its own livery black, maroon and cream band on WAG-5. Also other locomotives has its own standardised livery all over India.

VSKP ELS has its own stencils. It is written on loco's body side as well as front and back side.

Locomotives

SN	Locomotives	HP	Quantity	Images
1.	WAP-4	5350	11
2.	WAP-7	6350	50
3.	WAG-5	3850	82
4.	WAG-6	6200	6
5.	WAG-9	6120	200
Total Locomotives Active as of June 2022			349