PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 26 -- North Central Railway (NCR) is adopting a portable hydraulic tamping machine to speed up railway track maintenance, reduce manpower requirements and improve operational safety, railway officials said. Designed for use at isolated locations and railway yards where ballast beneath sleepers becomes loose, the machine can carry out packing work more quickly and efficiently than conventional manual methods. It can also be used for maintenance of points and crossings, where track layouts are more complex, informed chief public relations officer (CPRO) of NCR Dr Shivam Sharma. Equipped with four tamping tools, the machine tamps both ends of a sleeper in two successive passes. Its vibration frequency is comparable to that of heavy-duty track maintenance machinery, enabling effective packing of ballast to maintain track stability, he explained. NCR general manager Naresh Pal Singh has also directed officials to develop an indigenous version of the currently imported machine under the Centre's Make in India initiative, incorporating practical improvements....