Marhowra project is milestone of public private partnership, says Selot
Pittsburgh-headquartered Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) says its plant in Marhowra, Bihar, has delivered the 500th Evolution Series Locomotive to Indian Railways, a milestone in the US$2.5 billion agreement as part of the Government’s Public Private Partnership ‘Make in India’ program to develop and supply 1,000 fuel-efficient, emission-compliant diesel-electric Evolution Series locomotives.
“This achievement is a major step in Wabtec’s growth as the leading rail industry supplier in this country and demonstrates the commitment to the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” said Dr. Sujatha Narayan, Senior Vice President and India Region Leader.
“It also is a tribute to the dedication of our team in India, as well as the support from the community, government, suppliers and other Wabtec sites around the world. Their efforts are positioning the company and our customers for success in the region for years to come,” Narayan said on 20 Feb 2023.
The 500th locomotive is a 4500-horsepower, dual-cab locomotive.
To date, Wabtec has delivered 438 of those models and 62 of the 6000-horsepower, single-cab locomotives to Indian Railways.
These locomotives are digitally enabled and use cutting-edge technology to deliver fuel efficiency and ensure compliance to international emission standard UIC1.
The locomotives’ cabs feature ergonomic comforts for the pilots in terms of air conditioning, seats, noise reduction, heated wind screens, urinals and digital displays.
Indian Railways is using the locomotives extensively for heavy-haul and container operations across the country. The fleet is demonstrating high levels of availability and reliability, which is enabling significant growth in freight revenue.
“This partnership also helped to operationalize modern service sheds in Roza and Gandhidham. It also has been instrumental in creating jobs and establishing a local supplier footprint, as well as establishing a community outreach program.”
The state-of-art manufacturing plant in Marhowra started operations in 2018. It leverages global lean manufacturing processes and has the capacity to deliver 120 locomotives per year. The plant also set a new benchmark in having a diverse and talented workforce from Bihar and Jharkhand.
Additionally, Wabtec’s outreach programs in and around the Marhowra factory have fueled vocational training and educational equity enabling community development in the region. The programs have prepared and supported over 600 female entrepreneurs.
It has also trained engineers from the local polytechnic with smart welding skills needed to secure employment.
Wabtec has been a leader in the rail industry for over 150 years and has a vision to achieve a zero-emission rail system in the U.S. and worldwide. fiinews.com
