The deal is seen as a step forward in further expanding the economic ties between India and the United States.
The first ES43ACmi Evolution Series diesel locomotive that Indian Railway ordered from US-based General Electric (GE) Transportation Systems has arrived at the Indian port of Mundra on Wednesday.
The contract for the Evolution Series of GE’s best-selling and most successful freight locomotives in United States history was placed in November 2015.
According to the deal, GE will provide India with 700 3.36MW ES43ACmi locomotives (designated WDG4G by IR) and 300 4.47MW ES57ACi units over a period of 11-years.
The deal was made possible through a joint venture with Indian Railways. The more powerful variant of the locomotive that will be provided to India is currently in the design stage and production will commence later this year.
Going by the agreement between GE and Indian Railway, the first 40 superpower locomotives will be built at the Pennsylvania plant of GE; the remaining 960 units will be assembled at a facility in Bihar as a joint venture. The 91.5-hectare plant will be commissioned in 2018.
When put into service, GE’s Evolution Series Locomotive technology will become India’s cleanest, smartest, and most fuel-efficient locomotive. According to the manufacturers, the locomotive is built in a way that will reduce 50 percent in greenhouse gas emissions over Indian Railways’ current fleet.
The Evolution Series will also benefit the Indian Railways by offering improvements in performance, safety, and reliability.
The deal is seen as a step forward in further expanding the economic ties between India and the United States.
Speaking during the GE’s Diesel locomotive launch event in Delhi, Chargé d’Affaires MaryKay Loss Carlson said that “this contract shows how “Buy American, Hire American,” and “Make in India” can work hand in hand.”
“This project is also a powerful example of 21st-century U.S.-India industrial collaboration. As the Government of India noted when the deal was announced in 2015, this is a truly win-win initiative – providing India with state-of-the-art locomotives, reducing carbon emissions, helping promote economic development in Bihar, and supporting jobs in both India and the U.S,” Carlson added.