Siemens Mobility has delivered the first D9 electric freight locomotives intended for commercial operation to Indian Railways as part of a EUR 3 billion project that calls for the delivery of 1,200 locomotives. The company also inaugurated, together with the Indian rail operator, the fleet’s first maintenance depot in Visakhapatnam.
Siemens Mobility received the order in January 2023, and it represents the largest locomotive order in the company’s history, as well as the largest order in the history of Siemens India.
“The delivery of the first D9 locomotives and the opening of the new maintenance depot in Visakhapatnam are major milestones in this landmark project and in our long-term partnership with Indian Railways,” said Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility.
He added that Siemens technology supports India’s goal of shifting more freight to rail, increasing logistics efficiency, and significantly reducing CO₂ emissions over the coming decades.
“Together, we are putting into service one of the most powerful and energy-efficient freight locomotives in the world, manufactured and maintained in India,” said Michael Peter.
9,000-horsepower locomotives for heavy freight trains
The new D9 locomotives are designed for freight transport on the Indian Railways network at speeds of up to 120 km/h. Under normal operating conditions, a locomotive with an axle load of 22.5 tons will be able to haul loads of up to 5,800 tons on the network’s defined gradients.
With a power output of 9,000 hp, the D9 is the most powerful six-axle electric freight locomotive in India. The rolling stock has been successfully tested in accordance with the European standard EN 14363, used to assess the dynamic behavior and running safety of railway vehicles. According to Siemens, it is the first Indian Railways rolling stock to successfully pass these tests in accordance with the European standard.
The locomotives also include advanced digital systems, including Railigent X, Siemens’ platform for predictive maintenance and data-driven performance optimization. The goal is to increase fleet availability and ensure energy-efficient and reliable operation on the Indian rail network.
Complete maintenance for 35 years
The project is being carried out as a full-lifecycle partnership for the fleet. This includes design, manufacturing, commissioning, and 35 years of complete maintenance.
Maintenance services will be provided through a network of four depots in Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur, and Pune.
The first of these, the one in Visakhapatnam, has already been inaugurated.
Siemens Mobility will provide comprehensive services for the D9 fleet, including spare parts, materials management, maintenance planning, documentation, and reporting. The company will also use digital services based on Railigent X for technical condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and data-driven performance optimization.
India aims to increase the share of rail freight transport
India has one of the largest rail and logistics networks in the world. The system is used daily by 24 million passengers, with over 22,000 trains.
The Indian government aims to increase the share of rail freight transport to 40–45%, up from the current level of approximately 27%. This goal is important both for the logistical efficiency of the economy and for reducing emissions in a country with massive volumes of domestic freight.
India is also one of the few countries in the world with a nearly fully electrified rail network. In this context, the new D9 locomotives are presented by Siemens as a key element for modernizing rail freight transport and increasing traction capacity across the network.
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