Indian Railways is one of the largest and busiest railway networks in the world, transporting over 8 billion passengers and 1.2 billion tonnes of freight annually. To operate such a massive system, Indian Railways needs a large and diverse fleet of locomotives.
As of December 2023, Indian Railways had 10,238 electric and 4,543 diesel locomotives, among others. These locomotives run on over 108,000 km of tracks and pull over 13,000 trains daily. The locomotives vary in power, speed, design, and technology, depending on the type of service and terrain they operate on.
Indian Railways is constantly upgrading and expanding its locomotive fleet, with plans to introduce more high-speed, energy-efficient, and environment-friendly locomotives in the future. Some of the recent additions include the WAP-7 electric locomotive, capable of reaching speeds of 160 km/h, and the WAG-12 electric locomotive, the most powerful locomotive in India with a power output of 12,000 hp.
Indian Railways locomotives are not only the backbone of the country’s transport system, but also a symbol of its engineering excellence and diversity.
