2 days ago

Madhepura Factory Trains India’s Global Rail Engineering Workforce

A factory in Madhepura, Bihar, makes very powerful electric trains for Indian Railways.

The factory is jointly owned by Indian Railways and Alstom, a French company.

It has delivered 650 locomotives out of an order for 800.

These locomotives can pull loads weighing as much as 6,000 tonnes.

Most of their parts are now made in India instead of being imported.

The project has also helped train engineers who work on train projects around the world.

The factory uses computer tools to find maintenance problems early.

This has made repairs faster and reduced the materials needed.

The company is discussing how to keep the factory operating after the current contract ends.

Key facts

Ownership: Alstom holds 74% of Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited; Indian Railways is the other joint-venture partner.
Locomotive output: 650 locomotives have been supplied out of a contracted 800.
Power and capacity: Each locomotive has 12,000 horsepower and can haul loads of up to 6,000 tonnes.
Localisation: More than 90% of components are manufactured in India.
Imported components: Wheels and axles are sourced from China and Ukraine because an Indian supplier for the required design and specification is unavailable.
Engineering contribution: More than 30% of Alstom’s global engineering work is now carried out in India, according to Vivek Garg.
Efficiency gains: Condition-based monitoring and digital tools have reduced maintenance time by almost 20% and material requirements by close to 15%.
Contract outlook: The remaining 150 locomotives are scheduled for delivery by March 2028, and Indian Railways has an option for 200 additional locomotives.

indianexpress.com · 2 days ago