Alstom secures 5-year maintenance service agreement for WAG-12B electric locomotives through its joint venture with Indian Railways (MELPL)
Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, through its joint venture with Indian Railways (IR), Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL), has secured a contract to deliver maintenance activities for WAG-12B locomotives at IR’s Sabarmati locomotive depot. Valued at €62 m, this contract is awarded by Indian Railways to cover the maintenance of the balance of 300 electric locomotives still to be delivered from the original 800-unit contract awarded to Alstom in 2015.
The contract encompasses all activities required during scheduled and unscheduled maintenance to ensure strict availability and reliability targets are met, until February 2031. It includes material supply, locomotive washing, logistics, and remote diagnostics.
This contract complements the existing operations at the ultramodern depots in Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Nagpur (Maharashtra), which currently maintain the first 500 locomotives using the latest technologies to ensure high availability.
"It is an honour to be Indian Railways’ partner of choice again, as it is reflective of the legacy established by MELPL and Alstom. Over the last decade we have worked collaboratively with the IR organization in supporting their freight revolution vision. We are thrilled to be trusted, for our remarkable maintenance capabilities and our reliability and availability track record”, said Olivier Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India.
A specific set-up to provide fast and efficient support and minimise downtime
As part of Alstom’s FlexCare Perform maintenance offering, the scope of work includes servicing of both the electric locomotives and the essential depot infrastructure as well providing for Prompt Response Teams (PRT). The PRTs will be stationed at strategic locations equipped with specialised tools and critical spares to provide fast and efficient support and minimise downtime. Alstom will also continue its extensive skill development programme, as a part of the contract. To date, over 22,000 Indian Railways staff have been trained.
A landmark contract, instrumental in India's Green and Digital mobility transition
The Prima T8 WAG-12B electric locomotives are built as a part of a landmark 2015 contract worth €3.5 billion awarded to Alstom to supply 800 fully electric, 12,000 HP double-section locomotives capable of hauling around 6,000 tonnes. These super-powered locomotives are a key element of India's Green and Digital mobility transition, significantly reducing carbon emissions compared to diesel counterparts while increasing freight capacity.
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