Arun Kumar Das
Varanasi, July 20 (BVI) Highlighting India’s growing manufacturing capabilities and adoption of advanced technology in rail sector, Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) has rolled out its 2500th electric locomotive, marking a major milestone in loco production.
The WAP-7 class 6000 HP engine was flagged off by General Manager Naresh Pal Singh alongwith factory workers Anita Devi, Shruti Srivastav Nizamuddin among others
The engine is meant to haul Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto trains at 140 kmph speed.
The factory with over 5000 employees also has a significant women participation in the workforce in core engineering roles at the factory.
There are about 500 women working in the factory and no wonder women staff were on the dais as part of the flagging off ceremony.
The advanced WAP-7 engine represents cutting-edge technology with features like real-time monitoring and regenerative braking systems.
The achievement underscores the factory’s rapid growth since 2017 and its contribution to the make-in-India initiatives.
The 2,500th electric locomotive, a WAP-7 class engine with 6,000 horsepower features air-conditioned cabins, real-time monitoring systems, regenerative braking, and a modified gear ratio for operations at 140 kilometres per hour.
BLW achieved this feat in just 8 years, having started electric locomotive production in 2017.
Speaking to the media, BLW General Manager Naresh Singh said the factory has produced 10,822 locomotives to date, including 7,498 diesel engines, and has recently exported locomotives to Mozambique.
In the financial year 2024-25 alone, 472 electric locomotives were produced, and the factory aims to produce 553 locomotives this year.
The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Indian Railways’ journey toward modernisation and self-reliance.
The loco will be deployed at the South-Western Railway’s Krishnarajapuram shed.
Since inception, BLW has manufactured a total of 10,822 locomotives, including 7498 diesel and 2500 electric engines.
In FY 2024-25 alone, it produced 472 electric locomotives.
The factory has also been fulfilling international orders, recently dispatching two out of ten AC-AC diesel-electric locomotives ordered by Mozambique.
This milestone reaffirms BLW’s position not only as a production powerhouse but also as a vital contributor to India’s “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” mission, enhancing both domestic capabilities and global reach in railway manufacturing. (BVI)
