Alstom has delivered the 500th “Prima T8 WAG12B” electric locomotive, manufactured at its Madhepura facility in Bihar, to Indian Railways (IR). Over 85 per cent of the components for the locomotive have been sourced indigenously. This delivery is part of a contract worth EUR 3.5 billion, under which the firm is to supply a total of 800 high-powered-double-section Prima T8 locomotives, also known as WAG 12B, with a capacity of 12,000 horsepower (hp) to haul rakes weighing 6,000 tonnes at a maximum speed of 120 km per hour (kmph).
Moreover, it features insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT)-based propulsion technology and a regenerative braking system, which helps conserve energy, reduces heat generation, and lowers traction noise.