Alstom, Indian Railways mark five years of signing largest FDI in railway sector

This year, Alstom completes 5 years since it won the contract worth €3.5 billion from Indian Railways to supply 800 fully electric super powered double-section locomotives of 12,000 HP capable of hauling ~6000 tonnes at a top speed of 120 kmph. Over these 5 years, major progress has been made on the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) project in the Indian Railway sector.

"Planned to be deployed for operations on major freight routes, including the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), these e-Locos are transforming the heavy freight transportation landscape of India," Alstom said in a statement.

Certified by the Ministry of Railways and Commissioner of Railway Safety / RDSO earlier this year, the first WAG 12B e-Loco was inducted for commercial services in May 2020. So far, Alstom has successfully manufactured and delivered 50 such e-Locos to the Indian Railways. These e-Locos have covered close to 2 million kilometres on the railway network till date.

“Alstom is proud to partner in India’s growth story. Today, as we look back at an eventful five-year journey, it gives me immense pride to state that we have made progress across a spectrum of spheres – technological, infrastructural and socioeconomic – alike”, says Alain Spohr, Managing Director, Alstom India & South Asia.

lagging off the first e-Loco from the Madhepura facility on April 10, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, “I am thrilled to flag off the first-ever 12000 HP engine. There are very few countries across the world that use locomotives of this scale and power for freight transport. These engines will upscale the speed of freight transport in India to two times faster”.

Highlighting India’s Green Railways dream, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, Government of India had said, “Our PM has approved a program for 100% electrification of Indian Railways. We'll be the largest railways in the world to be 100% electrified with 120,000 track kms across India. By 2030, we hope to be the world's first 100% green railway with net-zero emission.”2

With these powerful e-Locos being manufactured within the country, India has become the 6th country in the world to join the club of countries producing high horsepower locomotives indigenously.