PM Modi flags off Indian Railways' first high speed electric locomotive in Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Indian Railways' first high-speed electric locomotive developed at the Electric Locomotive Factory, a collaboration between India and France, in Madhepura. The 12,000 horsepower high-speed train is the first Make-in-India project of this magnitude completed along with French rolling stock giant Alstom.
 
With this India will join the countries like Russia, China, Germany and Sweden, which have 12,000 horsepower and above electric locomotives. The most powerful electric engine in the Indian Railways was of 6,000 horsepower.
 
The Indian Railways had signed an Rs 20,000-crore agreement with Alstom for 800 high-speed locomotives in 2015. Under the contract over a period of 11 years, first five engines will be imported from France, while the rest 795 will be produced here in India.
 
Some highlights of the electric locomotive:
 

• The train is first Make-in-India project completed by Alstom at Madhepura's Electric Locomotive Factory
•  Each double section locomotive will have a capacity of 6,000 tonnes

• Due to its high speed of 120 km/hr, the locos are expected to decongest the saturated freight corridors.
• The heavy haulage locomotives will help in transporting coal and iron ore
• The new locomotive will bring down the operating costs for the Railways as it is 100% electrified. It will also cut down greenhouse gas emissions
• The Madhepura facility will manufacture about 35 locos in 2019-20 and 60 in 2020-21. Another 100 locos will be produced the following year.
• The locomotive is equipped with Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors based propulsion technology, which will help it survive the tough Indian climate.

 
Earlier in the day, PM Modi also addressed the centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha. A year ago, the Bihar government had kicked off a year-long celebration programme.

The Prime Minister lauded the cleanliness ambassadors from across the country as part of the "Satyagrah se Swachhagrah" campaign.

"In the last one week, more than 8,50,000 toilets have been constructed in Bihar. This is a great achievement. I congratulate the people, the 'Swachhagrahis' and the State Govt for this," Modi said at the event.

Besides, Modi also inaugurated schemes worth Rs 2,500 crore, this include three sewerage networks, one sewerage treatment plant in Patna, which are part of Centre's Namami Gange scheme. The other projects are a lake beautification project in Motihari and a water supply project in Bettiah.

Talking about the projects, he said: "Villages built along the river Ganga are being freed from open defecation on priority. Waste management schemes are being implemented in villages near Ganga. Soon, the Ganga coast will be completely open defecation free."