Alstom's WAG 12B, India's first freight locos approved for 120 kmph speed

October 15, 2020: Ministry of railways and RDSO have officially approved the Alstom-built WAG 12B 12000 HP electric locomotives to run as freight trains at a maximum speed of 120 kmph and thus become the fastest freight movers in the country.

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.

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 working 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 the 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.