"New Skilling Hub Launched for Railway Works"

In the railway construction sector, there is a growing demand for skilled supervisors, engineers, and managers to drive innovation and excellence. Larsen & Toubro’s Competency Development Centre (CDC) in Kanchipuram, near Chennai, aims to meet this need by upgrading the skills of professionals involved in the company’s railway construction projects.

M Robert Rajasekaran, the head of CDC with 32 years of experience with Indian Railways, explains that the centre bridges the gap between classroom theory and real-world challenges. As trainees enter the centre, they step into ‘L&T City Station’ — a replica of a real railway station complete with a platform shelter, mainline, and loop line with crossing points. This is part of the hands-on training programme. The centre also features models of tracks from major projects like the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, Chennai Metro, Hyderabad Metro, and Mumbai Metro to showcase ongoing innovations in railway construction.

Established in 2012, CDC is India’s largest integrated training centre for railway construction and has trained over 7,600 professionals to date. Rajasekaran highlights that it is the only integrated training centre set up by a private company, whereas Indian Railways has separate verticals and training centres for each department such as tracks, signalling, telecommunication, and mechanical. CDC brings all these working models under one roof.

The centre not only trains Indian professionals but also attracts international attendees. L&T has been involved in major metro projects across India and overseas, including in Mauritius, Dhaka, Jakarta, Dubai, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Hong Kong. Trainees include technicians and engineers from Indian Railways, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation, and other government and private organizations.

The training programme at CDC blends practical sessions with classroom learning. The centre can accommodate 300 technicians and 180 middle-level managers or engineers annually, covering all aspects of railway construction, including permanent way works, overhead electrification, signalling and telecommunication, and platform and building construction. Sessions also familiarize trainees with complex operations such as level-crossing gates, main and loop lines, and overhead equipment structures.

Practical workshops include assembling and dismantling overhead equipment. Every material used in railway construction, from nuts and bolts to tracks and signalling equipment, is displayed at the centre.

Harshita Purswani, Engineering Manager, Design (Railways) at L&T Construction, who trained at CDC, says the centre helped her develop the practical skills needed in her daily work. “While the core learning happens on the job, at site, the CDC helps us build a solid foundation,” she notes.

Aditya Bahadur Pal, Senior Engineer, Project Control and Monitoring Cell, Metro Business Unit at L&T Construction, adds that the CDC equips personnel to tackle a range of practical challenges in metro construction, thereby “fast-tracking our ability to contribute more meaningfully to the projects.”

HBL