900 horsepower locomotives to be made in Dahod which will also be exported: Railway Minister

Dahod (Gujarat) [India], May 26 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated a new electric locomotive factory in Dahod, Gujarat.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the facility will produce locomotives equipped with advanced sensor technology and is expected to begin exports within three years.
Speaking to media in Vadodara following the event, Vaishnaw said, "A factory of electric locomotive production was inaugurated here. The design of the locomotive is a modern one, with around 200 sensors in it to check its health online. This is one of the most modern designs in the world."
He added that the newly built locomotives will have 9,000 horsepower capacity and are intended for future export.
"Dahod has had a history of manufacturing locomotives, but it was left behind when the industry shifted from steam to diesel to electric engines. The Prime Minister decided in 2022 that electric locomotives should be made in Dahod. The work started in 2023, and it was inaugurated today," the Minister said.
According to Vaishnaw, five locomotives have already been built at the facility. "Initially, one loco will be made in 10 days, and after the production stabilises, one loco will be produced in two days," he noted.
He also stated that the production line is being structured in a way that enables export-ready locomotives to be manufactured within the next three years.
The project is part of the Indian Railways' broader modernisation push, with a focus on Make in India and boosting technological capacity in domestic manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid the foundation and inaugurated several development projects in Bhuj, Gujarat, worth over Rs 50,000 crore in Gujarat's Kutch, saying that the district was becoming the world's largest centre for green energy.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal Khattar, said that India has made significant strides in the electricity and power sector over the last decade.
"We have reached new heights in the field of electricity and power, and made unprecedented progress. There was a time when power cuts were common, but today, despite the huge power consumption, electricity is available for a good 22-24 hours even in villages," Khattar said.
Highlighting the achievements under the current government, Khattar noted that India's electricity generation capacity has almost doubled in the past ten years. "In 10 years, our electricity production has nearly doubled and reached 472 GW," he said.
Looking ahead, the Minister outlined the government's commitment to scaling up renewable energy output.
"We will speed up our electricity production even more with the use of non-fossil, i.e. renewable energy sources. By 2030, 500 GW of electricity will be produced via renewable sources," he added.
Meanwhile, apprising about establishing a green hydrogen factory here, PM Modi asserted that cars and buses in the future would run on green hydrogen, which has emerged as a new fuel type.
"Today, Kutch is becoming the world's largest centre for green energy. Green hydrogen is a new fuel type, and in the coming time, cars and buses will run on it. Today, the foundation stone for a green hydrogen factory has been laid -- and the technology behind it is Made in India," PM Modi said while addressing the gathering here. (ANI)