Indian Railways' Chittaranjan Locomotive Works Builds 250 Locomotives In Record Time In 2020

Indian Railways’ locomotive manufacturing factory Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) stepped up its productions to a record high in 2020, Financial Express reports.

The Ministry of Railways revealed that the CLW produced 250 electric locomotives (WAG-9 HC, 33071) in 188 working days whereas they had taken 190 days to do the same in the previous financial year.

The CML’s pace of manufacturing visibly picked up as the country crawled out of the Covid-19 lockdown months. 100 locomotives were constructed in 102 working days by 8 September 2020. Going ahead, the next 50 locomotives were created in 27 working days by 13 October.

Thereafter, the following set of 50 locomotives was made in 30 working days by 23 November whereas the factory took 29 working days to manufacture 50 more locomotives. Hence, the final target of 250 locomotives was reached in 188 working days on 29 December 2020.

The CML has drastically cut down the number of days required to produce 250 locomotives ever since the Narendra Modi-led BJP government came into power in 2014. The factory had taken 274 working days to produce 250 locomotives in financial year 2015-16. It took 277 working days in 2016/17, 249 working days in 2017/18, 217 working days in 2018/19, 190 working days in 2019/20 and now a record 188 working days in 2020/21.