Eastern Railway testing Bihar's 12000 hp electric locomotive

New Delhi : East Central Railways has started testing the first 12000 horse power freight locomotive at the Ministry of Railway-Alstom joint venture factory 'Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd.' in Madhepura, Bihar.

Having a 12000 horsepower output, the new locomotive has effectively doubled that parameter from its predecessor, the WAG-9.

It will also essentially double the average speed of freight trains in the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, where the locomotive will be deployed, with average speed expected to be between 100 kmph to 120 kmph.

Developed in a joint venture by Indian Railways and Alstom, a French multinational company operating worldwide in rail transport markets, it is the first electric locomotive in India to deliver a power output above 10,000 hp.

The joint venture was started after Indian Railways signed a record deal worth around 3.3 billion USD in November 2015 with Alstom for the production of 800 high power electric locomotives.