DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

GS-III :

20 May, 2020
5 Min Read

WAG12

The loco is named WAG12 with Number 60027.
It was a proud moment for Indian Railways, as it became 6th country in the world to join the elite club of producing high horse power locomotives indigenously.
It is the first time, a high horsepower locomotive has been operationalised on a broad gauge track in the world.
The locomotive has been produced under Make in India programme. The Madhepura factory is the largest integrated Green Field facility built to the highest standards of quality and safety with production capacity of 120 locomotives and spread across a massive 250 acres.

Advantages of WAG12

These locomotives are state of art IGBT-based, 3-phase drive, 9000 KW (12000 horsepower) electric locomotives.
The locomotive with a twin Bo-Bo design having 22.5 T (Tonnes) axle load is upgradeable to 25 Tonnes with a design speed of 120 kmph.
This locomotive will be a game changer for the further movement of coal trains for the Dedicated Freight Corridor.
The locomotives can be tracked through GPS for its strategic use through embedded software and Antennae being lifted through the servers on the ground through a microwave link.
The locomotive has air-conditioned driver cabs on either side. The locomotive is equipped with a regenerative braking system which provides substantial energy savings during operations.
These high horsepower locomotives will help to decongest the saturated tracks by improving the average speed of freight trains.
Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL) will manufacture 800 State of the Art 12000 HP Electric Freight Locomotives in 11 years and being one of the most powerful full electric locomotives in the world will increase the speed of freight trains and will allow faster, safer and heavier freight trains to move across the country, thus reducing congestion in traffic.
It will also lead to considerable savings in energy consumption through regenerative braking.

Madhepura factory

As part of the project, a factory along with the township has been set up in Madhepura, Bihar with the capacity to manufacture 120 locomotives per year. The project will create more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country. More than Rs 2000 Crores has already been invested in the project by the company.
Along with the factory, socio-economic development in Madhepura is being driven by this project. As part of CSR initiative skill centres are being set up in Madhepura to impart training to local people.
It may be noted that Indian Railways entered into Procurement cum Maintenance Agreement with Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL), as part of the largest Foreign Direct Investment project of Indian Railways to transform the heavy freight transportation landscape of the country. This is the ‘Make in India’ Initiative by India Railways (IR).

Source: PIB

Join Our Telegram

India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreem

India–Azerbaijan

05 Apr, 26
SHARE

A year after tensions arising from Operation Sindoor, India and Azerbaijan have taken steps to restore and normalise bilateral relations. The 6th round of Foreign Office Consultations, held in Baku, marked the first such engagement since 2022, signaling renewed diplomatic momentum. Recent Diplomatic Engagement During the consultations, bo

India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreem

04 Apr, 26
SHARE

The India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement has completed four years since its signing. Both countries now aim to build on this progress through strengthened collaboration and ambitious targets, including reaching AUD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. What is the India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Tra

ADR Report on Political Funding

03 Apr, 26
SHARE

A recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analyses donations of ?20,000 or more declared to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by national political parties for FY 2024–25, highlighting transparency and accountability in political financing. Key Findings Massive Funding Surge Total donations to nationa

Maritime Chokepoints

03 Apr, 26
SHARE

Maritime chokepoints are narrow channels along global shipping routes where maritime traffic is concentrated. These points are geopolitically and economically critical, as they handle a large proportion of global trade, especially energy shipments. Current Relevance Over two-thirds of seaborne energy trade passes through a handful o

US-Israel-Iran War

01 Apr, 26
SHARE

Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury (U.S.) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel), the geopolitical landscape has shifted fundamentally with the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iran retaliated through Operation True Promise 4, launching missile attacks against Israel and nearby Gulf states. The escala

Quick Links Testimonials FAQ

Crash Course

Regular Modules 2024

Mains

Optional

WAG12

WAG12

India–Azerbaijan

India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreem

ADR Report on Political Funding

Maritime Chokepoints

US-Israel-Iran War

DNA

05 Apr,2026

Important GS Topics

Toppers

Search By Date

Top Editorials

UPSC Courses

Saarthi Mentorship Programme

Important Tags

Articles:Geography And Environment

Articles: History Culture Society

Articles: Governance & National Issues

Articles: IR & IO

Articles: Economic Development & Economic Issues

Articles: S&T Internal Security

Articles: Ethics & Others

Articles: Others

Newsletter Subscription

SMS Alerts

Important Links