In an interview with Indian Infrastructure, Vivek Garg, Managing Director, MELPL and Services, Alstom India, discusses the evolving trends in railway infrastructure, Alstom’s service portfolio, the role of technology and the future outlook for the sector…
How do you see the industry’s focus shifting from initial asset creation to longterm asset performance?
India’s rail sector is undergoing a necessary evolution. The conversation is decisively shifting from asset acquisition to maximising long-term asset performance and lifecycle value. With unprecedented capital investment, operators and ministries are now rightly evaluating the total cost of ownership (TCO) over 30-35 years. There is growing recognition that true efficiency is achieved by integrating maintenance and modernisation expertise into the design and procurement phases. As a result, operators are bundling long-term maintenance contracts with rolling stock tenders – a domain where Alstom, with our deep product knowledge, are uniquely positioned to deliver unparalleled value. We are at the forefront of this change, partnering with operators to lower lifetime costs, guarantee reliability and ensure that India’s world-class assets perform at world-class standards for decades to come.
Global operators are prioritising reliability, availability and TCO. How is Alstom adapting to meet these expectations?
Operators are no longer just buying trains; they are investing in guaranteed operational outcomes – specifically, fleet availability, reliability and cost predictability. Alstom is well-positioned to deliver on this promise. We offer a full spectrum of service solutions, from comprehensive lifecycle management to component support, tailored to our customers’ requirements. In India, we are seeing this come to life across our projects. We have been entrusted with long-term maintenance contracts for the Mumbai Metro Line 4 fleet, the Delhi-Meerut RRTS, 800 WAG-12B freight locomotives, and the Bhopal, Indore and Delhi Metro projects.
How are technologies transforming the way rail systems are maintained and operated?
Digitalisation is the central nervous system of modern rail maintenance. The goal is to anticipate and resolve potential issues long before they can impact passenger journeys or freight movements. At Alstom, we deploy a suite of digital tools that create an intelligent ecosystem:
On the train: Our HealthHub™ platform uses AI-driven analytics to monitor hundreds of critical train parameters in real time. It can predict component degradation and failures.
On the track: TrainScanner™ provides high-speed, high-resolution diagnostics of a train’s underframe, detecting anomalies that the human eye might miss.
In the depot: We are digitising the entire maintenance workflow with tools like our SCS module. It replaces cumbersome paper manuals with interactive digital work instructions.
How is the company leveraging digital tools to help operators improve reliability, asset availability and efficiency?
Our core strategy is the fusion of predictive digital intelligence with localised, physical expertise. We leverage our global technology platforms but deploy them through local teams that understand the unique operational realities of the Indian network. On the Mumbai Suburban Network, one of the most intensive rail corridors on the planet, our diagnostic tools and expert maintenance teams work in perfect sync to consistently achieve a daily fleet availability of 99-100 per cent. For our national freight workhorses, the WAG-12B electric locomotives, we pair remote diagnostics from HealthHub with strategically stationed response teams. When a potential fault is identified, the teams are mobilised with the right spare parts and expertise to resolve the issue with minimal impact on freight movement. This combination of intelligent foresight and rapid, on-the-ground action is how we deliver the reliability and efficiency.
How is Alstom investing in workforce development and building capabilities to support digitally enabled systems?
In an era of AI and automation, building “human infrastructure” is critical. At Alstom, workforce development is a priority. Through our Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL) joint venture, we have trained over 22,000 Indian Railways personnel. Our focus is on building a robust, multi-skilled talent pipeline. We create a “two-way knowledge bridge”: our senior, experienced technicians are upskilled in digital diagnostics and AI-driven platforms, while our digitally native young engineers receive deep training in the physical mechanics and hardware of our systems.
Looking ahead, what trends will define the future? Where do you see Alstom contributing to this evolution?
As the country’s modern fleet of rail assets expands, the focus is shifting from procurement to guaranteeing operational performance, reliability and value. Services are no longer a support function. Alstom is at the heart of this evolution. Our key contribution will be to lead the transition towards performance-based lifecycle partnerships. We are deploying our AI-driven predictive maintenance technologies via an expanding, localised service infrastructure. This integrated approach allows us to guarantee asset availability and drive down the TOC. As India’s rail networks continue to modernise, Alstom is committed to ensuring that they operate with world-class safety and efficiency for decades to come.
