Nagpur: Stage set for commissioning of 12,000 HP locomotive maintenance project at Ajni

NAGPUR: In a big boost to railways in the region, the stage is set for the commissioning of the WAG-12B 12000 HP locomotive maintenance depot at Ajni. The depot under the Nagpur division of Central Railway will be one of the country’s largest ‘Make in India’ projects.
“The depot will be dedicated to the nation this month by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw probably in the third week of August, and the dates are being worked out,” said senior divisional commercial manager (SrDCM) Krishnath Patil, Central Railway.
Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari had already said the railway minister will be in the city to sign an MoU with the Maharashtra government's MahaMetro to operate broad gauge metro trains, and also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Nagpur railway station.
Buoyed by the successful maintenance of locos and transition of the electric loco shed at Ajni, the Railway Board had in 2015 offered Nagpur Central Railway another major facility and training centre to maintain 12,000 HP locos.
The new facility is located beside the existing Ajni electric loco shed, which currently maintains WAG-9 and WAP-7 class locomotives. Work on the new project started in 2020 and progressed steadily despite the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
As part of the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) project of Indian Railways in 2015, the railway ministry and French MNC Alstom had signed a contract worth Rs25,000 crore and created a joint venture for the project. The contract allowed for the manufacture of 800 double-section, 12000 HP locomotives for freight service, and associated maintenance over a period of 11 years.
The scope also included setting up a manufacturing plant at Madhepura (Bihar) for building the e-locos and two maintenance depots at Saharanpur (UP) and Nagpur (Maharashtra).
Sr DCM Patil said, “The 12000 HP locos have a hauling capacity of 6,000 tonnes. The first 250 WAG 12B locos are homed at Saharanpur depot and the 251st WAG 12B (first from Ajni) will be homed at Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL), Ajni, this month.”
Patil added, “By the end of 2022-23, homing of 50 locos is expected. Presently, the training and posting of railway personnel is in progress. The project is the largest state-of-the-art greenfield factory of its kind spread over 16.67 acres.”
Railway officials say the project will boost industrial growth in the region. The advantage of the new locomotive is that it will easily pull loaded freight trains and will not have to deploy bunkers to drag trains where there are gradients and in ghat sections.
BOX
BOOST TO REGION
* 12,000 HP locos manufactured at Madhepura will be maintained at Ajni
*Ajni depot will be jointly manned by Indian Railways & French MNC Alstom
* Spread over 16.67 acres, depot is on 8,000sqm and warehouse on 1,777sqm
* Industrial footprint with 12 tracks for maintenance with hi-tech equipment
* Usage of 100% LEDs for lighting
* Zero discharge effluent and sewage treatment plant
* Proposal for rooftop 1MW solar power plant