Indian Railways first 12,000 HP electric loco to be flagged of by PM Narendra Modi in Madhepura
Till now, the most powerful electric engine in Indian Railways was of 6,000 HP. The heavy-haulage locos, with a maximum speed of 110 km per hour, will help decongest saturated routes by improving the speed and carrying capacity of freight trains. Modi will also dedicate the Madhepura factory -- a high-value FDI joint venture with French rolling stock giant Alstom -- to the nation. The Rs 20,000 crore project is expected to roll out a total of 800 high horsepower locos over a period of 11 years.
According to the contract agreement, the first five locomotives will be imported while the remaining 795 will be manufactured in the country under the Make in India programme. Image source: Reuters