French Firm Alstom Announces Completion of All-Electric Locomotive at Bihar Facility

French multinational firm Alstom announced the completion of its first all-electric locomotive from its facility at Madhepura in Bihar on March 10. This is in line with the Indian government’s and Railways’ target towards achieving 100 per cent electrification and towards sustainable mobility.

Alstom also announced new contracts worth €75 million in India. These new locomotives will not only bring down operating costs for the Indian Railways but will also significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, the company said in a statement. The facility is a joint-venture between Alstom, which has 74 per cent stake, and Indian Railways, which has the rest.

“Our operations in India are paramount to our business globally and we continue to stay committed to developing India’s infrastructure needs, improving the quality of services to citizens and investing in the nation’s economy,” Henri-Poupart Lafarge, chairman and CEO, Alstom, said. The locomotives were developed along with support from six Alstom sites in France, such as Belfort for the six first car bodyshells and Ornans for the motors.

This first locomotive is part of a €3.5 billion order that consists of 800 electric double-section locomotives signed in 2015. It contributes to the Indian railway ministry’s public-private partnership program to modernize rail infrastructure.

“This agreement remains the largest Foreign Direct Investment in the railways sector to date and has a strategic role in creating a multiplier effect on the economy. This contract is also one of the biggest contracts in the history of Alstom,” said the statement.

The company also took to the social media to announce the completion of the project.

#Alstom completes most powerful all-electric “Make-In-India” locomotive from #Madhepura and announces contract wins worth €75 million in #India. More Inf

ormation here ➡ https://t.co/5PeDhVhwPZ @makeinindia @FranceinIndia @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/cQKFFqsXHl

— Alstom India (@AlstomIndia) March 10, 2018

“This project stands as a shining example of Alstom’s commitment to ‘Make in India’. Apart from creating thousands of jobs directly and indirectly, we have created a strong localized supply chain for this project, with 90 per cent of the components sourced locally,” Lafarge added in the statement.

The the three new deals announced by Alstom pertain to a power supply contracts with the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) and Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation, and new train sets with Chennai Metro Rail Corporation.

Alain Spohr, the managing director for India and South Asia, also commented about the trust the company’s customers had in its capabilities, solutions and expertise. “It is heartening to see our customers continued trust in our capabilities, solutions and expertise. In fact, our strong and localized footprint is and will continue to be the driving force behind our operations in India,” Spohr tweeted.