Railways gets aluminium freight train
2 min read . Updated: 16 Oct 2022, 10:53 PM IST
Premium- The wagons save 14,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions, have more carrying capacity and consume less energy
NEW DELHI : Hindalco on Sunday launched India’s first all-aluminium wagon rake, helping fast-track the country’s ambitious plan to modernise freight transportation and enable large carbon savings for Indian Railways.
Union minister for railways Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the wagon rake, ‘61 BOBRNALHSM1’, at Bhubaneswar railway station.
“This is a dedicated effort for Make-in-India programme as it has been fully designed and developed indigenously in collaboration with Indian Railways’ Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO), Hindalco and Besco Wagon," said a statement from the ministry of railways.
Further, tare weight—the weight of an empty vehicle or container—of the aluminium wagon rake is 3.25 tonnes lower than that of steel.
Flagging off the new 61-wagon rake from Bhubaneswar station, which will carry coal for Hindalco’s Aditya Smelter in Lapanga, Odisha, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union minister of railways said: “These wagons save 14,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions, have more carrying capacity, consume less energy and are corrosion-resistant. They are 100% recyclable and even after 30 years, they will be as good as new. These aluminium wagons will enable us to achieve our climate goals."
With the Railways planning to deploy more than 100,000 wagons in the coming years, the potential annual CO2 reduction could be to the tune of over 2.5 million tonne with a 15-20% shift to aluminium wagons, the Hindalco statement said.
Satish Pai, managing director (MD), Hindalco Industries said: “The launch of India’s first aluminium freight rake is a testimony to our capability and commitment to offer smart and sustainable solutions for nation building. Hindalco is steadfast in bringing together the best of global technologies with local resources to make Indian Railways’ logistics more efficient and contribute to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat."
The freight sector in India is expected to grow at more than 7% CAGR to 15 billion tonnes by 2050, with the energy-efficient and eco-friendly railways expected to notably increase its volume share from the current 18%.
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Hindalco is also planning to participate in manufacturing aluminium coaches for high-speed passenger trains.
Aluminium trains command a lion’s share in the United States, Europe and Japan because of attributes such as sleek, aerodynamic designs and their ability to tilt at high speeds without going off the rails.
Aluminium is the preferred choice for metro trains worldwide for their durability and, most importantly, passenger safety, as it has improved crashworthiness or superior crash absorption capability.
Indian Railways has already announced plans to make aluminium-bodied Vande Bharat trains.
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