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Swarajya Staff
May 01, 2021, 06:07 PM | Updated 06:07 PM IST
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Sustainable mobility provider Alstom has manufactured and supplied the 100th electric locomotive to the Indian Railways as a part of the Rs 25,000 crore worth contract signed between the two parties.
The manufacturing operation company and the national transporter had agreed on a deal in 2015 that led to the creation of this joint venture for the initiative, which is the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) project of the Railways.
Accordingly, Alstom is slated to deliver 800 completely electric high-powered double-section locomotives of 12,000 (9 MW) that will be used for freight services. It will be capable to haul 6,000 tonne at a speed of 120 km per hour and will be placed for operations on major freight routes that even include the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC).
The electric locomotives kick-started their operations in December 2020 and pharmaceutical products, food grains, fertilizers, coal, cement, minerals, post/parcels are some of the integral commodities moved by them across 18 states and two union territories.
Madhepura in Bihar hosts an integrated green field manufacturing facility in which these Prima T8TM WAG-12B e-locos are built, Financial Express reports.
The site boasts of a production capacity of 120 locomotives on an annual basis as the project is largely perceived as one of the flagship initiatives under the ‘Make In India’ vision that is set to bring in advanced innovation and technology in the country.