Chittaranjan Locomotive Works rolls out 100th locomotive

Kolkata: The 100th locomotive from the ancillary unit of Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) at Dankuni in Hooghly was rolled out on Monday morning while the first WAG 9 locomotive was rolled out three year ago.

Praveen Kumar Mishra, General Manager (GM) of CLW flagged off the locomotive.

According to CLW authorities, in 2014, the Dankuni unit of CLW was established and first locomotive was produced and flagged off in March 2015. During the financial year 2016-17, this unit had produced 12 WAG and 9 locomotives. Gradually, the production was increased and during 2017-18 and 2018-19 with Dankuni unit producing 25 WAF and 50 locomotives respectively.

"From this unit we have successfully produced most advanced WAG 9 locomotives till date and on Monday we have reached the 100 milestone," said Mishra.

The locomotives manufactured in Dankuni unit are only for freight trains with 6,000 horse power. WAG 9 locomotive was inducted in the Indian Railway during 1998 and since then it has become most effective locomotive for freight trains. As years passed, technology was upgraded and now CLW is using Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) technology to produce locomotives.

Sources claimed, that in future Dankuni unit will produce WAG 9 locomotive with 9000 horse power. The locomotive, which was flagged off on Monday, will go to the Bandamunda Electric Locomotive Shed in Odisha and serve there under South Eastern Railway.