Alstom to manufacture 800 high HP electric locos in Madhepura

With the Railways awarding the contract to Alstom for Madhepura electric locomotive project, there will be considerable energy saving due to the use of modern technology.
Railways has issued the Letter of Award for setting up of electric locomotive factory at Madhepura in Bihar to France-based company Alstom.
The new factory will supply 800 high horse power (12000 HP) electric locomotive over a period of 11 years.
While the project would bring in an investment of Rs 1300 crore, considered to be a substantial FDI in rail sector, for setting of the factory and also the maintenance facilities, it would also entail procurement of 800 high horse power locomotives costing about Rs 19,000 crore.

The project would also enable railways to have a fleet of locomotives equipped with state of the art propulsion technology, said a senior Railway Ministry official.
The high horse power locomotives would be a quantum leap over the existing 6000 HP locomotives used for freight operations.

These locomotives are planned for use in the Eastern DFC and also for across the country for hauling freight trains of 6000 Tonnes at 100 kmph and improve the average speed of such trains to around 50-60 kmph over the existing 25-30 kmph.
The quantum jump in the operating parameters would lead to substantial increase in the throughput and also enhance line capacity. These locomotives, equipped with state of art technology, based propulsion technology, would lead to considerable savings in energy consumption due to use of regenerative braking, said the official.

A joint venture company between railways and Alstom will now be incorporated and agreement between the two will be signed within the next 30 days in which railways will hold 26 per cent equity in JV Company subject to a maximum of Rs 100 crore.
The project is expected to lead to development of the region where the factory would be set up and also those where the maintenance facilities would be set up.