Alstom delivers 300th WAG12B electric locomotive to Indian Railways from Nagpur Depot
Shri Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway joined the site celebrations for the flag-off
Alstom, the global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has successfully delivered 300 electric locomotives to the Indian Railways. This marks a significant milestone in increasing the Indian Railways’ capabilities to haul heavy freight trains at high speed, to meet its ambitious freight targets. 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.
Marking the milestone delivery, the 300th e-loco was flagged off from Alstom’s state of the art locomotive maintenance depot in Nagpur, which was inaugurated by the Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi in December of last year. This milestone was celebrated in the presence of Shri Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway, and senior officials from Alstom, along with other key dignitaries from Indian Railways.
Addressing the audience, Shri Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway, said, “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, it 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 our industry”.
Commenting on the milestone, Olivier Loison, Managing Director - Alstom India said, “The Government of India is prioritizing reducing logistics costs in its efforts to boost the economy towards the USD 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 us, and as we continue to deliver more locomotives, this partnership will continue to boost the nation’s logistic capabilities.”
