Alstom, through Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL), has secured a contract to maintain Prima T8 electric locomotives (WAG-12B locomotives) at the Sabarmati locomotive depot of Indian Railways (IR).
MELPL is a joint venture created by Alstom and Indian Railways (IR).
The contract is worth EUR 62 million and includes the maintenance of the 300 electric locomotives remaining to be delivered from the initial contract for 800 units, signed with Alstom in 2015. The contract was awarded by India’s national railway company and will run for a period of five years.
The contract includes all activities necessary for the maintenance of Prima T8 electric locomotives, as part of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, to ensure strict compliance with availability and reliability targets until February 2031. It includes the supply of materials, locomotive washing, logistics, and remote diagnostics.
The contract complements existing operations at the state-of-the-art depots in Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Nagpur (Maharashtra), which maintain the first 500 locomotives (delivered by Alstom), using the latest technologies to ensure high availability.
As part of Alstom’s FlexCare Perform maintenance offering, the scope of work includes services for both electric locomotives and essential depot infrastructure, as well as the provision of Prompt Response Teams (PRTs). These teams will be stationed at strategic locations, equipped with specialized tools and critical parts, to provide fast and efficient support and minimize downtime. Alstom will also continue its extensive skills development program as part of the contract. To date, more than 22,000 Indian Railways employees have been trained.
The Prima T8 (WAG-12B) electric locomotives are part of a landmark EUR 3.5 billion contract awarded to Alstom in 2015 to supply 800 12,000 hp double-section electric locomotives capable of hauling approximately 6,000 tons.
The first of the 12,000 hp Prima T8 electric locomotives was put into commercial service by Indian Railways in May 2020. Designed to revolutionize freight logistics in India, the electric locomotives will enable faster and safer movement of heavy freight trains capable of carrying 6,000 tons at a maximum speed of 120 km/h. Planned for operation on Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), they will increase the average speed of freight trains in India by approximately 25 km/h. Equipped with IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) propulsion technology, the electric locomotives will also enable considerable energy savings thanks to the use of regenerative braking.
These super-powerful locomotives are a key element in India’s transition to green and digital mobility, significantly reducing carbon emissions compared to their diesel counterparts and increasing freight transport capacity.
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