INDIA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the first of the 9 000 hp WAG D9 (EF-9K) electric freight locomotives being produced by Siemens Mobility at Indian Railways’ factory at Dahod in Gujarat.
Speaking at the event on May 26, Modi said India is advancing rapidly in the global manufacturing sector, and producing rail and metro technology for export as well as domestic use. He said the factory in Dahod would ’become one of the premier manufacturing units in the world’, and ‘very soon, a time will come when a new locomotive will roll out every two days.’
In January 2023, Siemens Mobility beat Alstom to win a Rs260bn contract to supply 1 200 electric locomotives over 11 years and provide 35 years of full-service maintenance. It was the largest single locomotive order in the history of Siemens Mobility, and the largest order in the history of Siemens India which began in 1867.
The D9 can haul 5 800 tonnes and is designed for a maximum speed of 120 km/h. Approximately 90% of the technology is being made in India, with Siemens’ factories in Nashik, Aurangabad and Mumbai manufacturing components. Siemens will maintain the locos at Indian Railways depots in Vishakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur and Pune throughout their 35 year lifespan, using its Railigent X predictive maintenance platform.
‘Prime Minister Modi’s visit marks a proud milestone in our journey to deliver 1 200 high-performance electric locomotives for India. After two years of intense planning, engineering, and international collaboration, we are now entering full production mode’, said Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter.
‘The D9 is a symbol of sustainable progress and will increase the share of freight transported by rail in one of the largest freight markets in the world. The locomotives have the potential to replace up to 800 000 trucks and save over 800 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions over its lifecycle’, he added.
