Alstom Strengthens Role in India’s Green Freight Transition with New WAG-12B Maintenance Agreement

Alstom Strengthens Role in India’s Green Freight Transition with New WAG-12B Maintenance Agreement

(IN BRIEF) Alstom, through its joint venture MELPL, has secured a €62 million contract from Indian Railways to maintain 300 WAG-12B electric freight locomotives at the Sabarmati depot for five years. The agreement covers comprehensive scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, remote diagnostics, logistics, and the deployment of Prompt Response Teams to minimise downtime and maximise fleet availability until 2031. The contract builds on existing maintenance operations at Saharanpur and Nagpur and supports India’s transition to greener, higher-capacity rail freight through the continued deployment of high-power electric locomotives.

(PRESS RELEASE) SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, 13-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Alstom has been awarded a new long-term maintenance contract by Indian Railways for its high-power WAG-12B electric freight locomotives, further strengthening the partnership between the two organisations. The agreement, valued at €62 million, will be delivered through Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL), Alstom’s joint venture with Indian Railways, and covers the maintenance of 300 WAG-12B locomotives at the Sabarmati locomotive depot over a five-year period.

The contract applies to the remaining locomotives still to be delivered under the original 2015 agreement for 800 electric freight locomotives. Maintenance activities will run until February 2031 and are designed to ensure the highest levels of availability, reliability, and operational performance. The scope includes both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, material supply, logistics, locomotive washing, and the use of remote diagnostic technologies to support predictive maintenance and rapid fault resolution.

A key element of the contract is the deployment of Prompt Response Teams at strategically selected locations. These teams will be equipped with specialised tools and critical spare parts, enabling fast on-site intervention to reduce downtime and maintain continuous fleet availability. The maintenance programme also covers essential depot infrastructure, ensuring that operations at the Sabarmati facility are supported by a fully integrated service approach.

The Sabarmati contract complements Alstom’s ongoing maintenance operations at its ultramodern depots in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and Nagpur, Maharashtra. Together, these facilities currently support the first 500 WAG-12B locomotives already in service, using advanced technologies and digital solutions to meet demanding performance targets across India’s freight rail network.

As part of the agreement, Alstom will continue its extensive skills development initiatives for Indian Railways personnel. To date, more than 22,000 railway staff have received specialised training, supporting long-term capability building and knowledge transfer within the national rail system.

The WAG-12B Prima T8 electric locomotives form a cornerstone of India’s rail freight modernisation. Each 12,000 HP, double-section locomotive is capable of hauling loads of up to 6,000 tonnes and delivers significantly lower carbon emissions compared to diesel alternatives. The fleet plays a central role in advancing India’s Green and Digital mobility ambitions by increasing freight capacity while supporting decarbonisation objectives across the transport sector.

Media contact:

Press contact – India

Ankita Upadhyay
Send an email

SOURCE: ALSTOM