Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway has operated a “Triplet Train”, coupling three empty freight rakes into a single long formation for movement from Paradip to Talcher, on a pilot basis. The run is being seen as an important step in handling heavy freight on Odisha’s busy mineral routes.The train, comprising 180 wagons and six locomotives, has covered the 198-km industrial freight route in 7 hours and 45 minutes, passing through steep gradients and busy sections without difficulty, officials said. It was operated using a distributed power system, in which locomotives placed at different points along the train work in coordination. The formation had one locomotive at the front, two pairs of locomotives in the middle and one banking engine at the rear.Railway officials said the locomotives were fitted with a Distributed Power Wireless Control System and SATEL radio modems. These systems helped the engines maintain coordinated traction and braking during the journey. Five locomotives worked in a master-slave configuration, while the sixth locomotive assisted from the rear.An East Coast Railway official said the operation was also significant for yard management. “As the pilot run became a success, we can run loaded triplet trains in the coming days to save time and reduce the traffic burden on rail lines,” an ECoR spokesperson said.The run also provided the railway with important technical data. During the journey, radio communication with the rear locomotive dropped out around 20 times. Each time, the wireless control system restored the link almost immediately. Officials said this helped avoid disruption and prevented any unwanted emergency braking.The ECoR spokesperson said the successful trial will also support faster clearance of empty wagons.