Mumbai, July 1 -- Alstom has secured a five-year maintenance services contract worth €107 mn to support 250 WAG-12B locomotives operated by Indian Railways. The agreement renews a prior four-year arrangement between the national transporter and the joint venture, Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL). Work will be carried out at Alstom's depot in Nagpur and covers both rolling stock and depot infrastructure.

The locomotives in scope are the 12,000 HP Prima T8 WAG-12B class, which underpin the country's freight operations by hauling 6,000 tonne (t) loads at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour. These units form a core element of the Dedicated Freight Corridors, increasing freight capacity while contributing to lower carbon emissions. MELPL will be responsible for full maintenance of the 250 locomotives and associated depot facilities.

The company stated that Alstom will continue to deploy specialised Prompt Response Teams (PRTs) equipped with tools and spares at strategic locations to ensure rapid issue resolution and to maximise fleet availability. The PRTs will operate across multiple sites to reduce downtime and support operational reliability. The arrangement aligns with efforts to maintain continuous freight movement on key corridors.

The contract value reflects continued investment in maintenance capacity and in-country operational support for rolling stock modernisation. Industry observers see the renewal as affirmation of existing public-private collaboration models in railway electrification and freight enhancement. MELPL and Alstom will proceed with scheduled maintenance activities under the renewed five-year timeline.

Work under the contract will cover scheduled preventive maintenance, periodic overhauls and inventory management to support high utilisation rates. The joint venture will also focus on workforce training and skills development to sustain technical capabilities at the Nagpur facility. The renewal will help reduce lifecycle costs and bolster reliability metrics for the freight fleet.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.