Indian Railways on March 29 received delivery of the 300th 12,000-HP (Horsepower) WAG-12B electric locomotive from Alstom.
The locomotives are part of a massive order of 800 WAG-12B engines signed by the Indian Railways and Alstom in 2018 valued at Rs 40,000 crore, spread over 10 years.
All 800 trains as part of the order will be delivered by 2028, and going forward 100 trains will be manufactured every year, as part of the contract.
The locomotive will be used for the faster movement of goods, especially coal and iron ore, as the Indian Railways looks to increase its market share in cargo movement in India.
"The Government of India is prioritising reducing logistics costs in its efforts to boost the economy towards the $ 5 trillion economy target. The Alstom WAG12B electric locomotive has proven to be a capability multiplier, with its ability to haul greater loads at faster speeds," Olivier Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India said.
Planned to be deployed for operations on major freight routes, including the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), these electric locos are capable of hauling ~6,000 tonnes at a top speed of 120 kmph.
Built as part of the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) project in the Railway sector, these 800 fully electric super powered double-section locomotives will transform the heavy freight transportation landscape of India.
These 800 e-locos are being manufactured at India’s largest integrated greenfield manufacturing facility in Madhepura, Bihar. They were designed at Alstom’s Engineering Centre in Bengaluru.
Spread across 250 acres, with a production capacity of 120 locomotives per year, the Madhepura site is built to international standards of safety and quality.
Two ultra-modern maintenance depots in Saharanpur and Nagpur will ensure the high service availability of the locomotives.
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