India's Rails Go Global: First Locomotive Export Set for Guinea

Indian Railways is set to begin exporting locomotives to Guinea, a coastal nation in West Africa, marking its first-ever international locomotive shipment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the inaugural export locomotive on June 20 from the Diesel Locomotive Factory in Marhowrah, located in the Saran district of Bihar.

On the same day, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate a new Vande Bharat Express service between Patliputra in Bihar and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Under a contract secured through a global tender issued by Guinea, India will supply 150 locomotives over three years—37 in FY2025-26, 82 in FY2026-27, and 31 in FY2027-28.

The Marhowrah facility, developed under a public-private partnership (PPP), is operated by a joint venture between GE Transportation and Indian Railways. The 4,500-horsepower locomotives are specially designed for hauling iron ore and come equipped with modern features, including windshield defogging, insulated roofs, onboard toilets, air conditioning, and a Distributed Power Wireless Control System (DPWCS).

Each locomotive pair will be capable of pulling 100 wagons with a total freight load of up to 8,000 tonnes, covering a distance of 1,200 km in 24 hours.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.