Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially launched the first of Indian Railways’ new fleet of high-powered electric freight locomotives. The D9 model, which delivers 9000 horsepower, is among the most powerful freight locomotives in the world.
The event took place at the Indian Railways production facility in Dahod, Gujarat—developed in partnership with Siemens Mobility. The facility was constructed in less than two years and now serves as the final assembly site for the project. Siemens factories in Nashik, Aurangabad and Mumbai are also contributing by producing critical components for the locomotives.
This launch follows the award of a contract to Siemens Mobility to design, manufacture and maintain 1,200 of the 9000 HP electric locomotives over a 35-year period. The project is seen as a cornerstone of India’s ambition to decarbonise freight transport.
“Prime Minister Modi’s visit marks a proud milestone in our journey to deliver 1,200 high-performance electric locomotives for India. After two years of intense planning, engineering, and international collaboration, we are now entering full production mode—with our teams in Nashik, Aurangabad, Mumbai and Dahod making this vision a reality. The D9 is a symbol of sustainable progress and will increase the share of freight transported by rail in one of the largest freight markets in the world. The locomotives have the potential to replace up to 800,000 trucks and save over 800 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions over their lifecycle,” Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, said.
The D9 locomotives have a maximum speed of 120 km/h and can haul loads of up to 5,800 tonnes, optimising freight movement across India’s extensive rail network. Approximately 90% of the technology used in these locomotives is produced domestically, aligning with the government’s ‘Make in India’ strategy.
Each unit will feature Siemens’ Railigent X platform to enable predictive maintenance and ensure high levels of availability and performance. Additional features include the Kavach automatic train protection system, digital tracking, and green propulsion technology.
The launch signifies a major step in modernising India’s rail freight sector and contributes to broader efforts to cut emissions and enhance logistics efficiency across the country.
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