Wabtec Corporation will manufacture and export 150 locomotives to Guinea in Africa under a deal valued at over INR 30 billion. The locomotives, each with a capacity of 4,500 horsepower, will be used at the Simandou iron ore project site in Guinea.
According to Indian Railways, the Railway Locomotive factory in Marhowrah, Bihar, will supply Evolution Series ES43ACmi locomotives. The delivery schedule includes 37 locomotives in the current financial year, 82 in the next financial year, and 31 in the third year. The locomotives will feature air-conditioned, single-driver cabs and will typically operate in pairs to haul 100 wagons at maximum permissible speed.
The locomotives will be equipped with alternating current (AC) propulsion, regenerative braking, microprocessor-based controls, modular architecture, fire-detection systems, and Distributed Power Wireless Control Systems (DPWCS) for synchronised freight operations. Additional features include ergonomic crew cabins with amenities such as refrigerators, microwaves, and waterless toilet systems.
The manufacturing site at Marhowrah has facilities for broad gauge, standard gauge, and cape gauge track systems. The project was secured through a global competitive bidding process.
The Marhowrah factory directly employs 285 people and provides indirect employment to an additional 1,215 people. It is a joint venture between GE Transportation, now part of Wabtec Corporation, and Indian Railways, which holds a 26 percent equity stake. The primary purpose of the factory is to manufacture 1,000 high-power freight locomotives over 10 years for Indian railway operations. Wabtec also maintains the locomotives to ensure fleet availability.
