What is the cost of Indian railway engines?
Indian Railways used two kind of Locomotives for Indian Railways, Electric and Diesel Locomotives. So let’s start with Electric Locomotives first:
Presently the major electric locomotive in use are WAP-4, WAP-5 and WAP-7 in passenger segment and WAP-9, WAP-9H in Freight segment. Apart than that other series locomotives are also there but Indian Railways is more focused on bringing the power horses to 3 Phasors. Other Locomotives like WAG-7, WAG-5, WAM-4 etc are on the verge of withdrawn as the latest of these WAG-7 has been put out of the production in 2015. But still they are under service as well until the 3 Phasors totally takes over the Electric Territory.
So the cost of these locomotives are:
WAP-5: This 6000 HP locomotive is a variant of Swiss Lok 2000 locomotive of ABB Switzerland. Brought into India under Transfer Technology Pact.
The very first ten locomotives of WAP-5, ranging from 3000 to 30010 has been imported. Of which the two 3000 to 3002 has been sent intact directly from Switzerland. The remaining were brought into kits and then assembled in CLW Asansol.
The locomotives being assembled at CLW costs Indian Railway at Rs.32 Crores. While the next from it which were produced directly in CLW costs around Rs.8 Crores.
WAG-9: Brought in India with the WAP-5 locomotives under transfer technology pact. Of total 22 units were imported to India, out of which 31000 to 31005 were imported into India fully made while 14 more 31006 to 31021 were assembled at CLW from body shells and kits imported from ABB Australia and Switzerland.
For assembling and importing the WAG-9, it costs Indian Railways about Rs.32 Crores as well, while when being produced in India at CLW it costs Indian Railways about Rs.13.5 Crores to Rs.15 Crores.
WAP-7: The most successful locomotive of Indian Railways after WAM-4 locomotive of Indian Railways. Produced by changing the gear modification of WAG-9 locomotive of Indian Railways. Total 450 being produce till February 2018.
The cost for production of WAP-7 comes out to be Rs.12 Crores to Rs.13 Crores raging from types of equipment, microprocessors used while building.
WAG-12: The new sensation in Indian Railways. To be in the very verge of being the MOST POWERFUL Locomotive of Indian Railways, the first five locomotives are under production, out of which two are under testing at Electric Locomotive Factory at Medhapur.
The each locomotive unit costs Indian Railways around Rs.25 Crores. That is double the price of the present freight hauling locomotives of Indian Railways.
While under production the Locomotive will cost around Rs.19,904 Crores.
Diesel Locomotives:
WDG-4G: The newbie 4500 HP, Diesel Locomotive of Indian Railways which is going to be manufactured in GE Locomotive Factory Marhowrah. Initially imported ones are are brought in the country while rest are to be produced in the factory.
The produced GE locomotive will cost Indian Railways Rs.14.656 Crores.
WDP 4/WDP-4B/WDP-4D/WDG-4/WDG-4D: The locomotives which were imported to India to phase out the conventional ALCO locomotive of Indian Railways, were initially produced by EMDs. First of some which were imported and then some are assembled in DLW Varanasi.
The WDPs are the passenger versions of the EMD locomotives which are described as EMD GT 46 PAC. Under this WDP-4, WDP-4B and WDP-4D are manufactured.
WDGs are the freight versions Locomotives of Indian Railways. These were transcribed as GT46MAC for 4000 HP Locomotives and GT46ACe for 4500 HP Locomotives.
So all together costs Indian Railways Rs.13 Crores when it comes to the WDPs and WDGs.
© Sourindra Laha
