Asansol: The Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) has created a record by manufacturing the first-ever 12,000 horsepower (HP) engine with indigenous technology. Twin WAG-9 locomotives were combined to manufacture the 12,000 HP engine that possesses the capacity to pull 45 to 50 goods train boogies at a speed of 120 km.
Presently, the country's largest freight corridor is under construction as a result of which, high-powered engines are required to pull the freight wagons. The CLW has already manufactured 9,000 HP engines but it is for the first time ever that it has come up with a 12,000 HP engine. CLW has already dedicated it to the nation.
According to CLW sources, the Ministry of Railways has engaged CLW to make 10 locomotives with 12,000 HP engine. Of which, the first one has been manufactured and shipped while efforts are on to prepare the nine remaining ones.
A similar 12,000 HP engine is being manufactured by a French company in Bihar's Madhepura. The company plans to come up with 800 such engines over the next 11 years.
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Indrajit Singh, a leader of Chittaranjan Railway Factory union said, "Currently this engine has been built without the buffer between two engines. The indigenous engine manufactured by us can easily compete with the one that is being manufactured by the French company."
Notably, the CLW has come up with the 12,000 HP engine by connecting twin locomotives without incurring any additional cost. The 12,000 HP engine has set a precedent in the overall production and CLW has successfully broken its own record. During this fiscal, CLW has manufactured 250 locomotives in 134 working days. Last year the work was completed in 183 days. CLW general manager DP Das congratulated the staff for the achievement.
