India has made promising early steps in its aspirations to lower rail carbon emissions after Narendra Modi, the country’s Prime Minister, unveiled the first of many planned electric locomotives – part of its policy to remove fossil fuel-powered trains from the tracks by 2022.
The 5,000-horsepower electric train, which was converted from diesel, will reportedly be followed by 107 more each year – a rate of nine a month. Work to overhaul the engines began in December 2017, work that has resulted in a process that enables the switch to be completed in 69 days. Emission-free trains are also scheduled for use in freight operations and PM Modi will be unveiling another converted train with double the power, achieved by joining two of the WAGC3 trains together.
Helping India to realise its carbon-cutting policy, the technology company ABB this week signed a £32 million ($42 million) agreement to supply the South Asian country with diesel-to-electric converters custom-designed for its rolling stock.