Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a 9,000 horsepower electric freight locomotive engine at the Dahod railway manufacturing unit in Gujarat. The factory operates under a public-private partnership model, aiming to produce 1,200 locomotives in the next ten years for domestic and international markets.

Siemens India serves as the technological partner for manufacturing and maintenance of these six-axle locomotives. Modi had laid the foundation stone of this project on 20 April 2022. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 26 billion, excluding taxes and price adjustments, according to the Ministry of Railways.

The powerful locomotive will run at an average speed of 75 kilometres per hour. Maintenance will be carried out at depots in Kharagpur (West Bengal), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), and Pune (Maharashtra). This initiative is expected to generate employment for nearly ten thousand people in Dahod and surrounding areas, directly and indirectly.

Modi will visit Dahod, Kachchh, and Gandhinagar on 26 and 27 May to participate in events across the three districts. This will be his first visit to his home state after Operation Sindoor.

Source:Zee News, Ministry of Railways, ANI