Motihari: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated the Madhepura Electric Locomotive factory to the nation and also flagged off the first electric engine manufactured at the unit through remote control from Motihari.
Christened WAG12, the locomotive is capable of hauling 6,000 tonnes at a maximum speed of 120 kmph with its 12,000 horse power engine.
The electric locomotive would first go to the testing and maintenance depot at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh before being introduced to the mainline network as part of the freight fleet.
This electric locomotive was completed, on schedule, in February 2018, said an Alstom press note.
Modi also flagged off the Champaran Humsafar Express between Katihar and Delhi. The train will run bi-weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Besides, he laid the foundation stone of a project for doubling of the Muzaffarpur-Sagauli (100.6km) and Sagauli-Valmikinagar sections (109.7km), whose estimated cost is Rs 2,401 crore and will cover the districts of Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and West Champaran.
The Madhepura factory, located 240km east of Patna, is a joint venture between Alstom of France and Indian Railways, having 74 per cent and 26 per cent stake respectively. Alstom is investing a little over Rs 1,500 crore for this project that has come up on over 250 acres of land.
For the e-loco project, the company has set up two maintenance depots at Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Nagpur (Maharashtra).
Having commenced production work in October last year, the company had announced it would roll out the first locomotive in the first half of the current year. Now the aim is to deliver the first five locomotives by 2019 followed by 35 locomotives by 2020; 60 in 2021 and 100 every year afterwards till the target of 800 is achieved.
Alain Spohr, managing director (India and South Asia) of Alstom, said: "It is a matter of great pride and privilege for Alstom to have the honourable Prime Minister of India flagging off our first complete electric locomotive and dedicating the Madhepura facility to the nation. There can be no stronger endorsement of our efforts towards Make in India and skill initiatives in the country. Alstom is proud to partner with Indian Railways on this transformational journey towards a sustainable future in mobility in the country."
He added: "We are confident that this facility will also pave the way for the industrial development in Bihar and will act as a gateway of opportunities for the region."
Alstom said the company, in Madhepura, is working to develop an ecosystem to enable local manufacturers to set up units in and around the area. Alstom's active and targeted community action programme at Madhepura, focusing on skill development and education, will further prepare more than 5,000 young minds for gainful employment.
The company will also adopt a local ITI to provide skill development to 840 students over the next 10 years.
Of these, 300 students will be absorbed by Alstom for apprenticeship programmes within the facility. This will work in tandem with focused scholarship programmes for meritorious students in schools in the area to develop children from an early age as well.
Other initiatives for supporting the local communities include healthcare interventions by the company like mobile medical units in the area with doctors on board, health and wellness awareness camps, free medication distribution and special services for women and children.
Headquartered in France, Alstom is present in over 60 countries and it has established a strong presence in India. Currently, the company is executing metro projects in several Indian cities, including Chennai, Kochi and Lucknow, where it is supplying rolling stock manufactured at its facility at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh. Alstom is also executing signalling and power supply systems for the 343km section on the World Bank-funded eastern dedicated freight corridor. Alstom has set up an Engineering Centre of Excellence in Bangalore coupled with a strong manufacturing base as well as localised supply chains.
