An updated locomotive maintenance section has been put into operation at the Vitebsk locomotive depot

The Vitebsk depot is one of the largest and oldest repair and maintenance enterprises of the Belarusian Railway, with a history spanning over 145 years. Currently, the assigned fleet includes 66 freight locomotives, 7 passenger locomotives, and 20 shunting locomotives (including 6 of the new TMЕ1 series).

The locomotive maintenance section (TO-3) provides technical maintenance of the so-called third scope, which includes the repair of the diesel engine and auxiliary and electrical equipment, the running gear, and the lubrication and braking systems. The decision to modernize was made in 2009. Currently, all work has been completed. The locomotive depot has received a modern workshop building equipped with all necessary equipment. New LED lighting fixtures have been installed, providing the required illumination level that meets sanitary standards, and also allowing for savings of at least 11 tons of conventional fuel, or 54.8 million rubles per year. Significant energy resource savings will also be achieved through the thermal rehabilitation of the building, which included roof replacement, installation of double-glazed windows, and wall thermal renovation.

During the implementation of the reconstruction project for the TO-3 section, the Belarusian Railway introduced the "New Format of Passenger Transportation", aimed at developing high-speed traffic. It involves stricter requirements for the cleanliness and quality of wheelset processing. This work is carried out at the TO-3 section. During the modernization, the old wheel milling machine was replaced with a modern Italian-made wheel lathe. It allows for the turning of wheelsets of any type of rolling stock, including high-speed ones, with a processing speed more than twice as high as that of the wheel milling machine, and significantly lower energy consumption. As a result of the reconstruction, savings in production resources and increased labor productivity are expected. The payback period for the investment is 5.5 years.

Tatsiana Pasternak, "Vitebskiye Vesti"