Relevance: Mains: G.S paper III: Science an tech
- Indian Railways has entered into Procurement cum Maintenance Agreement with Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL), Bihar, a joint venture of Indian Railways and M/s Alstom.
News in detail
- The Electric Locomotive Factory, Madhepura, Bihar is a joint venture of Alstom SA of France with Indian Railways for the production of 800 high-power Electric locomotives over a period of 11 years designed to run on Indian tracks at 120 km per hour.
- The manufacturing has started on 11 October 2017. In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated India’s first high-speed WAG-12 12,000 HP freight electric locomotive at Electric Locomotive Factory, Madhepura. Alstom says its first locomotive will be ready for roll-out early 2019.
- The new twin Bo-Bo design Locomotive with 22.5 T (Tonnes) axle load upgradable to 25Tonnes with design speed of 120 kmph will be powered by 12000HP. The locomotive will be used in the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) for the faster movement of goods, especially coal and iron ore.
- This is the first time such High Horse Power locomotive is being tested on Broad Gauge network in the World by any Railways.