Indian Railways creates history as PM Modi flags off electric conversion locomotive
Indian Railways has registered yet another new feat under its belt, as Prime Minister Modi flagged off India’s first ever electric conversion locomotive in Varanasi today.
The Indian Railways notched another feat under PM Modi’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ scheme, by converting a diesel locomotive into electric locomotive for the first time in the world, the Financial Express reported.
PM Modi created a new chapter by flagging off the new converted energy-effective electric locomotive locomotives in Varanasi today. In an all new, and first of its kind move, the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) has converted the diesel locomotive to electric locomotive in Varanasi.
The report states, the whole project was designed, and developed by the Indian Research & Development (R&D) organisation as mentioned by the Indian Railways.
India has always wanted to reduce its carbon footprints, and this ‘Make in India’ step by the Indian Railways will turn out to be an important one.
. We are presenting you 5 facts about the electric converted locomotive; these facts are bound to keep you glued to the screens:
1.) The converted electric locomotive provides 10,000 Horse Power (HP) instead of previous 2 X 2612 HP of two diesel locomotive (i.e 92 percent extra power). The 10,000 HP is sufficient to drag a load about 5300 Tonnes, offering nearly 2:1 HP to lagging load ratio.
2.) Also surprisingly, from notion to implementation, the ‘Make in India’ project was completed at DLW within a historic period of 69 days, beginning from 22 December 2017 to 28 February 2018.
3.) As per the Indian Railways, the converting cost of diesel locomotive into electric locomotive is lower than the cost of midlife restoration of a diesel locomotives.
4.) Apart from being economical, it also results in an increase in the average speed of freight locomotivess, which would increase sectional capacity. The project was sanctioned on 27 November 2018 by the national transporter for commercial services.
5.) Last year, the converted electric locomotive completed trials at a most extreme allowable speed of 75 kmph and successfully pulled 5200 tons of cargo on its maiden journey from Varanasi to Ludhiana.
The Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways presently plans to convert all diesel locomotivess into electric locomotivess during mid life rehabilitation. According to the national transporter, the ‘Make in India’ extend could be a step towards saving traction energy cost. It is being said that with transformation of diesel locomotivess into electric locomotivess, the fuel bill of Indian Railways will decrease essentially, the Financial Express reported.
(With agency inputs)
