In a massive boost to the freight operations in the country, Indian Railways has approved Alstom’s 12,000 horsepower (HP) electric locomotives to run goods trains at a maximum speed of 120 kmph.

Basically meant to be deployed on the dedicated freight corridors (DFCs), these electric locomotives will allow faster and safer movement of heavier goods trains on major routes of Indian rail network.

DFC is expected to be completed by June 2022.

Approved by the Ministry of Railways and Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) to run freight trains at a higher speed, the induction of these heavy haul locos are expected to increase the average speed of freight trains in India by 20 kmph to 30 kmph.

"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 Indian Railways in reducing its carbon footprint and adopt cleaner technologies in its quest to transform into the world's largest Green Railway network,” Alain Spohr, managing director of Alstom India and South Asia, said while commenting on this achievement.

“India is a priority for Alstom, and we are committed to work closely with the Indian Railways for all their future modernisation endeavours,” he said.

Despite the 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.

“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,” Spohr said.

“Additionally, this move will not only bring down operational costs, but also reduce the congestion faced by Indian Railways,” he added.

The company's focus is to give maximum support and protection to all teams and workforce in the present adverse situation, the company said in a statement.

Earlier this year, the railways began inducting the WAG 12B electric locos, which are the most powerful locomotives to run on Indian tracks. Cumulatively, these electric locomotives have already clocked over one million kilometres, thus providing a significant fillip to the country’s freight logistics landscape.

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.

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.