Let’s talk tecnology: Railway Ministry list out is initiatives

More and more technology is being used to modernize the railway network in India, said Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 7 April 2017.

Two locomotive factories at Madhepura (Electric) and Marhowra (Diesel) costing about Rs.2,600 crore entailing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow in Rolling stock manufacturing have already been awarded to Alstom and General Electric (GE), respectively, since 2015.

It has allowed FDI since August 2014 in the following:

(i) Suburban corridors through Public Private Partnership (PPP);
(ii) High speed train projects;
(iii) Dedicated freight lines;
(iv) Rolling stock including trains sets and locomotive/coaches manufacturing and maintenance facilities;
(v) Railway electrification;
(vi) Signaling system;
(vii) Freight terminal;
(viii) Passenger terminal;
(ix) Infrastructure in industrial park pertaining to railway line/siding;
(x) Mass Rapid Transport System.

Some of the measures in order to induct and proliferate new technology in rolling stock are listed below:

• It has been decided to proliferate Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches (for Mainline trains) on Indian Railways. These coaches are lighter in weight and have better passenger amenities, higher carrying capacity, higher speed potential, increased codal life, better maintainability and safety features, as compared to conventional Integral Coach Factory (ICF) type coaches.

• Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) has completely switched over to the manufacture of new generation, high horse power, energy efficient Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) based three-phase locomotives from 2016-17.

• Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW)/ Varanasi has switched over to the manufacture of high horse power, IGBT based three-phase locomotives for Railways’ requirement from 2013-14.

• Switchover to energy efficient 3 Phase Propulsion system in Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) has been effected by ICF/Chennai.

• Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMUs) are fitted with 3 Phase Propulsion system by ICF/Chennai, which is more reliable.

• The locomotives that shall be supplied by Madhepura Electric Locomotive Company Limited (MELPL), a Joint Venture company of ALSTOM Manufacturing India Limited and Ministry of Railways, shall have state-of-the-art three phase propulsion system with regeneration capability, higher power output per axle and increased availability and reliability.

• The diesel locomotives that shall be supplied by GE Diesel Locomotive Private Limited (GEDLPL) from Diesel Locomotive Factory, Marhowra, a joint venture of GE Global Sourcing India Pvt. Ltd. and Ministry of Railways, shall have state-of-the-art AC-AC propulsion system with stringent emission standards, higher tractive effort, and increased availability and reliability.

• LHB Technology for coaches (Mainline) was acquired through a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement with M/s ALSTOM/ Germany.

• CLW had acquired technology for manufacture of three-phase electric locomotives from M/s ABB/Switzerland.

• DLW has acquired technology for manufacture of high horse power three-phase diesel locomotives from M/s EMD/USA. fii-news.com