-'GOVERNMENT OF INDIAMINiSTRY OF RAILWAYS

(RAILWAY BOARD)

No. 2011/Track-I/12/1 New Delhi, dated .16.04.1417

Principal Chief Engineers,All Indian Railways.

Sub: Recommendations of Committee to improve the progress of Through WeldRenewal (TWR) by Mobile Flash Butt Welding Plant (MFBWP).

Ref: This office letter of even no. dated 24.09.13.

Vide above referred letter, recommendations of the Committee of EDTK(P), EDTK(M)and EDCE(P) in Railway Board which were approved by Board(ME) were circulated fortheir implementation. These recommendations have been reviewed in Board again andin supersession to these instructions, following instructions are being circulated for theirimplementation:

1. Tenders for Mobile Flash Butt Welding should be invited at Zonal Head Ouarter levelinstead of Divisional level to ensure adequate number of joints and for better contractmanagement. Tenders for minimum 10,000 joints of Mobile Flash Butt Welding, subjectto availability of scope, should be invited by taking into account the requirement for aperiod of 2 years. Suitable PVC should be provided in the tender.

2. . The tender for MFBWP should not be mixed up with AT Welding.

3. Preferably, the same tender should cover the items of MFB welding, development ofdepots, earthwork, leading of rails and cutting of rails, insertion of welded panels etc. toavoid the contractual coordination problem. .

4. Contract Conditions

(i) Eligibility Criteria.

(A) Technical

a) Tenderer should own at least one MFBW Plant in the tendering firm's name, whichshould be in working condition and fit to be deployed for the tendered workexclusively. The tenderer should submit documentary proof for the ownership of theMFBWplant along withtender.document,

b) The General QAP for the Flash Butt Welding Plant (excluding Details of Operatorsand Standardized Welding Parameters) proposed to be deployed by firm should beapproved by RDSO before the tender opening date. The Mobile Flash Butt WeldingPlant owning firm can approach ROSa directly and can get their General OAPapproved by ROSO before participating in a tender. This approved General OAP isto be submitted along with tender document without which tender will not be

considered. If contractor wants to deploy a welding plant other than that specified inthe tender, which has approved OAP from RDSO, that plant may also be permittedby Railways.

(8) As 1WR work with mobile flash butt welding plant is a specialized nature of work anddirectly related with the safety of track, the technical eligibility criteria as per SudhirChandra committee may be modified by zonal railways with concurrence of FA&CAO(Associate Finance) and personal approval of General Manager, if required, as perscope of work, local conditions and availability of tenderers for participation in thetenders at the zonal railway level in accordance with footnote of minimum eligibilitycriteria in Railway Board's letter no. 94/CE-I/CT/4 dated 17.10.02"

(C) Financial:

Total contractual payment received during the last three financial years and in thecurrent financial year should not be less than 150% of Advertised Tender Value ofWork.

(ii) On quarterly basis, total traffic blocks of 120 hours per quarter with minimum blockduration of two hours or more per block, will generally be ensured.

(iii) With aforesaid blocks, quarterly progress of minimum 1200 joints should be achieved.

(iv) Flash Butt Welding machines shall be available in working order for 60 days minimumin a quarter.

(v) Penalty:

a) If, despite the availability of blocks specified in para (ii) above, the no. of jointsexecuted in a quarter is less than 1200, the penalty at the rate of 20% of acceptedrate of welding per joint for the quantum of shortfall will be levied. Record of blockdemanded by JE/SE/P.Way and granted or refused by traffic deptt will be the basisfor determining the penalty leviable.

b) However, if the availability of machine in working order in a quarter is less than 60days and no of joints welded in that quarter is also less than 1200, then penalty @Rs. 5000 per day of shortfall in availability will be levied irrespective of total durationof traffic blocks granted in that quarter.

5. Approval of OAP, Welding Team and Standardization of Welding Parameters:

a) The General OAP containing the process of welding, Welding parameters suggested byPlantManufacturersand other details (completeOAPexcluding details qf Welding Team.and Standardized Welding Parameters) shall be got approved by the Firm fro~ ROSaanytime before participating in tender

b) On award of contract, the firm will approach concerned Zonal Railway for approval ofwelding team as per Para 13 of Manual. The competency

, , Certificate to the plant operators will be issued by CTE of Zonal railway after conductingthe necessary tests as per provision of Manual.

c) After approval of Welding team, the final QAP (containing the earlier approved GeneralQAP, details of welding team and proposed welding parameters as decided bycontractor during internal test) will be submitted by the Firm to ROSO for standardizationof Welding Parameters as per Para 5.6 of Manual.

d) After Standardization of Welding Parameters, the final approved QAP will be issued byROSO for undertaking the work in field as per provisions of Manual.

e) Approval of OAP and Standardization of parameters of Flash Butt Welding machines byROSO should be ensured on priority. The action for approval of Welding team shall betaken by Zonal Railway on priority.

f) Format of General QAP should be standardized by ROSO and should be circulated to allRailways and shall be posted at ROSO Website.

6. Methodology of working of SCR or WCR shall be adopted by all the Zonal Railways.

7. One special PWI duly trained in MFBW should be deputed exclusively for the work ofTWR by MFBW Plant.

8. USFO testing and other test examination of Flash Butt Weld executed in field should bedone within a week of welding. For welding in depot, it shall be done immediately afterwelding.

9. OAP of the MFBW Plant need not be re-approved by ROSO unless there is majorchange in Quality Control setup or new type of Rail to be welded. In case of change ofoperator, Zonal Railways shall take action for approval of welding team and revised QAPshall be approved by CTEs of Zonal Railways. The final decision whether there is majorchange in Quality Control setup or not will rest with CTE of Zonal Railway.

Copy to:EOffrack.:I/ROSO- for necessary action and for issue of necessary amendment in flash buttwelding manual, if required.

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(S.S. Gupta) i'7i\Executive Director Track (P)

Railway- BoardD{G

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