Railways to upgrade older trains with 6,000-HP locomotives

New Delhi: The Indian Railways plans to scale up procurement of newer, more energy- and noise-efficient locomotives for passenger trains. Pairs of these 6,000-horsepower (HP) engines will operate in a push-pull format to enable smoother and faster operations of older trains, senior officials said.

The engines will be procured through supply and maintenance contracts with private or public sector technology partners. The modern locomotives will also eliminate the need for an attached power generator car in trains to meet passenger amenities-related requirements such as coach lighting, fans and air conditioning, officials said.

"This will bring more comfortable passenger travel to non-Vande Bharat trains as well," a senior official told ET. A pair of locomotives would provide a combined 12,000 HP, improve acceleration and enable compatible conventional trains to operate at speeds of up to 160 kmph on suitably upgraded routes. The existing horsepower profile of conventional passenger locomotives is concentrated in the 5,000-6,000 HP range.


Unlike Vande Bharat, where traction equipment is distributed beneath coaches in a self-propelled train set, the proposed system would modernise locomotive-hauled services while retaining the flexibility to use conventional coaches.