Indian Railways (IR) has achieved a major milestone in locomotive production, surpassing global benchmarks.
The national transporter has produced approximately 1,400 locomotives this year, a figure that exceeds the combined output of the USA and Europe.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared this achievement in the Lok Sabha, highlighting the impressive progress of India’s rail sector.
Indian Railways Record-Breaking Locomotive Production
Indian Railways has set a new record by manufacturing 1,400 locomotives in the past year.
This achievement surpasses the combined locomotive production of both the USA and Europe.
Indian Railways produces the locomotives at several key production units, including the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) in Chittaranjan, Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) in Varanasi, and Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW) in Patiala, among others.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw proudly stated, “Locomotive production has reached 1,400 per year. If we combine the production of the USA and Europe, India’s locomotive production still surpasses them.”
This marks a significant achievement in the country’s rail infrastructure development.
In addition to locomotive production, Indian Railways has significantly expanded its coach and wagon manufacturing.
Over the past decade, the national transporter has added more than 200,000 wagons to its fleet and has built around 41,000 Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) coaches.
The production of LHB coaches has drastically increased from an annual output of 400-500 to 5,000-5,500 per year, demonstrating significant improvements in manufacturing capacity and efficiency.
Indian Railways Improved Railway Safety Initiatives
Railway safety has also been a major focus for the government. Minister Vaishnaw announced that all Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches will be converted into LHB coaches in the coming years.
This transition is part of the broader efforts to improve passenger safety and comfort.
He also highlighted a significant increase in investment for railway safety, with the government allocating Rs 1.16 lakh crore.
As part of this, Indian Railways is rapidly implementing advanced technologies like long rails, electronic interlocking systems, fog safety devices, and the ‘Kavach’ system, designed to enhance the safety of train operations.
Technological Innovations For Track Maintenance
Indian Railways has developed the Rail-Cum-Road Vehicle (RCR) to simplify track maintenance without needing heavy equipment. Additionally, the primary rail renewal of 50,000 km of track has been completed.
The number of welding failures, which stood at around 3,700 per year in 2013-14, has dropped by 90% to less than 250.
Similarly, rail fractures have been reduced from 2,500 per year in 2013-14 to just 240, showcasing the significant improvements in track maintenance and overall safety.
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