Date:31/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/31/stories/2008123160861200.htm

New Delhi

India to import electric locomotives from Japan

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Japanese succeeded in pushing India into having its proposed western freight corridor run on electric. Did it also push Delhi into buying its new generation advanced technology electric locomotives for the Indian Railways?

That is the major question doing the rounds in the Rail Bhavan here. That may well be the pound of flesh recession-hit Tokyo is seeking to extract from Delhi for lending a soft loan to the railways for constructing the ambitious Dedicated Freight Corridor estimated to cost about Rs. 37,000 crore.

Even as it sought to negotiate a loan from Japan, the Indian Railways was firm in its decision not to electrify the western corridor and to rely on diesel locos to carry the double stack containers. But after almost two years, the railways yielded to the Japanese demand without compromising on its decision to carry double the freight on the new pathway to reduce per unit cost of transportation.

As if to meet the Japanese requirement, the railway authorities rushed to the design room to develop a new system to accommodate movement of double stack containers on flat wagons hauled by an electric loco in the absence of available technology elsewhere in the world. The engineers found an answer in the form of a higher overhead line equipment carrying power at a height of 7.45 metres with a high-reach pantograph (current collecting vehicle) attached to the loco.

Blueprint changed

Consequently India changed its blueprint for the western freight corridor and it did not take much time for Japan to financially contribute to the project. Japan stressed on electrification on environmental grounds.

According to Railway Board officials, Delhi has decided to import new class electric locos from Japan. The railways intend to use 9000 HP engines for the western corridor and 12000 HP electric locos for the eastern corridor.The railways are presently using 5000 HP, 5400 HP and 6000 HP freight and passenger locos and working on indigenously increasing their capacities to 7000 HP.

Japan has agreed to transfer technology along with the export of its high-speed locos. Details on the number of locos to be imported and their price are being worked out.