India hands over high-end diesel locos to Myanmar ahead of schedule

India today handed over the 18th and the last diesel railway locomotive engine to Myanmar, thus executing a key project ahead of time as part of efforts to boost ties with the neighbour.

These 18 locomotives are fitted with microprocessor control-based system, attaining a maximum speed of 100 km per hour and are customised for Myanmar Railways.

The locos have been built by the Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

"They are extremely fuel efficient and equipped with the latest features. Most of these supplies in the railway sector have been carried out under Indian Line of Credit. As per the agreement schedule, all locomotives were to be delivered by September, 2018. They have been delivered six months ahead of the schedule," said a Railway Ministry official.

Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain has congratulated the railways on completion of the project. He also thanked the Indian Embassy in Myanmar for its full coordination and assistance with the Myanmar authorities in easy facilitation of the project.

Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Maxim Sokolov today met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal along with a delegation, during which they discussed the progress of the feasibility study of raising the speed limit between Nagpur and Secunderabad to over 160 kmph being jointly carried out between the two countries.

Goyal in particular was keen on adoption of innovative technology to carrying out the upgradation work without disturbing the traffic, the official said.

Russia, which boasts of one of the largest rail networks, run trains in excess of 200 kmph from Moscow to St Petersburg. It also successfully hauls heavy load freight trains, and the Minister was keen to know more about them.

A protocol for undertaking feasibility study of raising speed between the Nagpur-Secunderabad section was signed on October 15, 2016, between Indian and Russian Railways in Goa during the bilateral between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.