CLW flags off new loco

Vijayalakshmi Viswanathan, financial commissioner of Indian Railways and secretary in the railways ministry, flagged off a state-of-the-art locomotive built at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), a press release issued by R Sivadasan, general manager of CLW, said here today.

Viswanathan spent two days at CLW visiting its many workshops including the steel foundry, and the township.

She flagged off a 3-phase, 5,400 HP, WAP-5 type passenger electric locomotive named 'Vijay Utkarsh'.

Viswanathan praised CLW's success in assimilation of imported technology over the years, starting from steam to diesel then to three phase electric locomotives and rising self-reliance.

She held detailed meetings with senior officers and members of staff council of CLW.

She informed CLW workers that Indian Railways had achieved 11 per cent increase in passenger traffic and 20 per cent growth in freight traffic earning in the first two months of this fiscal.

Indian Railways had adopted 'Mission 700', and CLW would have a central role in producing locomotives needed to haul the 700 million tonnes of freight which was the target under the mission for Indian Railways.

CLW's had produced 60 per cent of its annual target in the first six months of this fiscal and this growth would have to be accelerated, she indicated.

The growing Indian economy would need more electric locomotives in the coming years from CLW, she pointed out.