Alstom has successfully delivered 300 electric locomotives to the Indian Railways. As part of its contract worth €3.5 billion, Alstom is supplying 800 high-powered double-section locomotives of 12,000 HP (9 MW) for freight service. Designated by Indian Railways as WAG-12B, these locos are capable of hauling 6,000 tonne rakes at a top speed of 120 km/hr.
The 300th e-loco was flagged off from Alstom’s state of the art locomotive maintenance depot in Nagpur, in the presence of Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway, and senior officials from Alstom, along with other key dignitaries from Indian Railways.
As per Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway, Indian Railways is undergoing a massive transformation in its freight operations and Alstom’s contribution in powering this revolution is commendable. The joint venture formed between Indian Railways and Alstom, to build India’s most powerful electric locomotives for freight service is a stellar example of a successful public private partnership model, which will play a key role in accelerating the growth of the freight sector. The world-class facility built here, and the quality of products and services delivered by Alstom, are well aligned with the Government’s ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’, and green mobility initiatives. This combined with the workplace culture nurtured by Alstom, will definitely set new benchmarks for the industry.
As per Olivier Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India, the Government of India is prioritising reducing logistics costs in its efforts to boost the economy towards the $ 5 trillion economy target. Indian Railways will play an important role in achieving this goal, and for that it needs to strengthen its haulage capacity. The Alstom WAG12B electric locomotive has proven to be a capability multiplier, with its ability to haul greater loads at faster speeds. The 300th loco delivery is a proud milestone for Alstom India, and as it continues to deliver more locomotives, this partnership will continue to boost the nation’s logistic capabilities.
The WAG-12B locos are built in one of India’s largest integrated greenfield manufacturing facilities at Madhepura, Bihar, under a joint venture between Alstom and Indian Railways. With these powerful e-locos being manufactured within the country, India has become the 6th in the world to join the club of countries producing high horsepower locomotives indigenously.