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New Delhi : The 100th 12,000 HP WAG 12 B has been inducted in Indian Railways fleet. The loco is named WAG 12 B with number 60,100. The locomotive is manufactured by Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL), Bihar.
These locomotives are state of the art IGBT based, 3 phase drive and 12,000 horse power electric locomotive. These high horse power locomotives will help decongest the saturated tracks by improving average speed and loading capacity of freight trains. They are capable of maximum tractive effort of 706 kN, which is capable of starting and running a 6,000 T train in the gradient of 1 in 150. The locomotive with twin Bo-Bo design having 22.5 T (Tonnes) axle load is upgradable to 25 Tonnes with design speed of 120 kmph.
These superior electric locomotives, built under the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative, are playing a key role in revolutionising the freight movement in the country. It will help decongest the saturated tracks by allowing faster, safer and heavier freight trains to move across the country, as well as improve the loading capacity. So far, these e-Locos have traversed across all Railway divisions and are performing well, according to a PIB release.
These locomotive are proving to be a game changer for further movement of coal trains for Dedicated Freight Corridor. The locomotives can be tracked through GPS for its strategic use through embedded software and Antennae being lifted through the servers on ground through microwave link. These WAG 12B e-Locos have already clocked over 4.8 million kilometres hauling a wide range of commodities across 17 States & 2 Union Territories. It may be mentioned here that Indian Railways has entered into Procurement cum Maintenance Agreement with Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL)
First 12,000 HP Made in India Locomotive, manufactured by Madhepura Electric Loco Factory situated in Bihar, was put into operation by Indian Railways from Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn Station on May 18, 2020.