Railways Mull Locomotive, Coach Imports For Faster Service

The railway ministry is evaluating various models of locomotives manufactured by Sweden's ABB and General Motors of US and coaches produced by Linke-Hoffmann Busch (LHB) of Germany as part of its modernisation plan.

The railways had purchased ABB locomotives and LHB coaches in 1995. But the decision resulted in a controversy with the railways being questioned on why it had preferred high-cost foreign supplies when Indian manufacturers could provide the products with same quality at lower prices.

This time, the ministry has been advised by the Planning Commission to opt for GM and ABB locomotives and LHB coaches.

The induction of these locomotives and coaches will improve capacity utilisation on the high density routes connecting the four metropolitan cities.

Since it is not possible to introduce more trains on these corridors because of the high traffic density, the ministry feels that it is better to run faster trains with more coaches till additional tracks are laid. Adding more trains on the existing tracks would increase the risk factor and result in greater wear and tear.

According to an assessment, the Indian Railways and Konkan Railway need 785 diesel and 851 electric locomotives between 1997-2002.

"Indigenous manufacturing capacity of the Diesel Locomotive Works and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, which manufactures electric tractions, will have to be extended by providing marginal inputs. It is required that the railways should go for technology upgradation by induction of high horse power ABB and GM locomotives. Introduction of high capacity lightweight LHB coaches is also needed," the Planning Commission has said in its action plan for the railways during the Ninth Plan period.

The plan also suggests that the railways should induct high-capacity, eight-wheeler coaches and wagons with roller bearings and phase out the four-wheeler stock. "Increase in load-to-tare ratio of wagons by increasing axle loads is also needed," the plan panel report said.

Wagon requirement for the Ninth Plan period has been assessed at 1,36,000. There is also a requirement of 10,090 conventional coaches in the Ninth Plan period.

The indigenous manufacturing capacity is about 36,000 wagons a year but the industry has not been able to supply more than 26,000 wagons in recent years. The action plan says that the industry has to gear up for the additional requirements.

The plan also notes that the Container Corporation of India will shortly be introducing innovative transportation packages in the form of road-railers and roll-on-roll-off services through its domestic division. This should help win back non-bulk traffic to the railways and help in arresting the trend wherein the railways were losing traffic to road transport.