Alstom’s WAG 12B electric locomotives approved to run at 120 kmph on Indian Railways network

14 October 2020: Alstom-built 12000 HP electric locomotives have been officially approved by the Ministry of Railways and RDSO to run freight trains at a maximum speed of 120 kmph. Earlier this year, Indian Railways began inducting the WAG 12B e-locos, which are the most powerful locomotives to run on Indian tracks. Cumulatively, these electric locomotives have already clocked over 1 million kilometres, thus providing a significant fillip to the country’s freight logistics landscape.

These electric locos will allow faster and safer movement of heavier freight trains capable to haul ~6000 tonnes at a top speed of 120 kmph. Planned to be deployed for operations on major freight routes of Indian Railways including the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), they are expected to increase the average speed of freight trains in India by at least 20-25 kmph.

Commenting on this achievement, Alain SPOHR, Managing Director, Alstom India & South Asia said, “The approval from RDSO is indeed a matter of pride for all of us at Alstom and a testimony of our technical expertise in partnership with the Indian Railways. In line with India’s push towards self-reliance, we have successfully leveraged our local engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Alstom is also committed to support IR in reducing its carbon footprint and adopt cleaner technologies in its quest to transform into the world’s largest Green Railway network. India is a priority for Alstom, and we are committed to work closely with the Indian Railways for all their future modernization endeavours.”

“Equipped with Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) based propulsion technology, it would lead to considerable savings in energy consumption due to use of regenerative braking. The technology is also helpful towards making the acceleration process more efficient by reducing the heat generation and traction noise. Additionally, this move will not only bring down operational costs, but also reduce the congestion faced by Indian Railways”, he added.

Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the advent of Unlock 1.0, Alstom restarted significant production at all its manufacturing facilities, ensuring all necessary permissions and adhering to government protocols. The company’s focus is to give maximum support and protection to all teams and workforce in the present adverse situation.

About Alstom:

Leading the way to greener and smarter mobility worldwide, Alstom develops and markets integrated systems that provide the sustainable foundations for the future of transportation. Alstom offers a complete range of equipment and services, from high-speed trains, metros, trams and e-buses to integrated systems, customised services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility solutions. The company recorded sales of €8.2 billion and booked €9.9 billion of orders in the 2019/20 fiscal year. Headquartered in France, Alstom is present in over 60 countries and employs 38,900 people. 

About Alstom in India:

Alstom has established a strong presence in India. It offers a complete range of equipment and services, from high-speed trains, metros, trams and e-buses to integrated systems, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility solutions. With more than 5700 full times employees, and in line with Government’s Make-in-India’ initiative, Alstom has been investing heavily in the contry to deliver world class rolling stock, research & development and components to not only serve the domestic market, but also rest of the world. We have four industrial sites in the states of Bihar (Madhepura), Andhra Pradesh (SriCity), Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore) and West Bengal (Kolkata). India also houses in Karnataka (Bengaluru), the largest Engineering centre for Alstom, outside of France. Additionally, Alstom has a localized sourcing and supply chain, to the extent that most projects are over 75% percent built from indigenous materials. www.alstom.com/India


Source: Alstom