Metro Rail News conducted an exclusive interview with Shri Vijay Kumar, General Manager of Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW). During the discussion, Shri Kumar outlined CLW’s role in supplying locomotives for Indian Railways and supporting the country’s transport infrastructure. He highlighted key milestones achieved by CLW in his leadership, including setting a record in locomotive production, and shared the organisation’s target of manufacturing 777 locomotives for FY25-26. Shri Kumar also discussed advanced technologies implemented at CLW, such as the DPWCS (Distributed Power Wireless Control System) and the IP-based Video Surveillance System (VSS), as well as projects in development, including the Drive Gear System and Remote Monitoring System. Additionally, he touched upon CLW’s initiatives to enhance sustainability . Here are the edited excerpts.
1.Could you please elaborate on your Professional journey? What are the milestones CLW has achieved under your leadership?
When I joined CLW on 10thDecember 2024, CLW, including its Dankuni Unit, had manufactured 431 WAG-9 Locomotives and converted 12 WAP-5 locomotives for Amrit Bharat Trains. In the remaining timeframe of the financial year 2023-24, a total of 269 new locomotives and 28 conversion locomotives were required to be manufactured to achieve the target fixed by the Railway Board. CLW was struggling to achieve the target as there were major constraints in the supplies of important items such as Transformers, Locomotive Shell and Propulsion System, etc . The major achievements till 31st March, 2025, are as follows:
- CLW and its Dankuni Unit achieved the target of production of 700 new locomotives in the financial year 2024-25. In this, the Chittaranjan Unit produced 544 locomotives and the Dankuni Unit produced 156 locomotives. These are the best ever annual figures for both the Units since their inception.
- Earlier, the best-ever figure of locomotive production in a month was 65 locomotives achieved by CLW in the month of July 2023 in the FY 2023-24. This record was continuously surpassed in the month of January’25, February’25 and March’25 by producing 66, 69 and 75 locomotives respectively.
- In addition to meeting the target of manufacturing new locomotives, CLW also achieved the Railway Board’s target of converting 40 WAP-5 locomotives.
- Considering the above performance, the Railway Board enhanced the target of production of new locomotives to 777 and conversion of WAP-5 locomotives to 64 locomotives in the financial year 2025-26. Till the end of August 2025, CLW has already manufactured 347 new locomotives and converted 30 WAP-5 conversion locomotives. In new locomotives, 267 have been manufactured in Chittaranjan and 87 locomotives in Dankuni. The trend clearly shows that this year, the Chittaranjan and Dankuni units of CLW are likely to surpass their best-ever targets achieved in the financial year 2024-25. Moreover, the conversion target of 64 WAP-5 locomotives will also be adhered to.
- On the technology implementation front, Waterless Units were installed in WAG-9 locomotives in May 2025, following their earlier installation in WAG-9 EF12K Twin locomotives in October 2024.
- The 360-degree driver seat was installed in the driver’s cab in May 2025, and subsequently, the Inspector seat in August 2025.
This has been possible only due to the sheer hard work, team spirit, and total dedication and devotion of each and every employee of Chittaranjan and Dankuni, be it staff, supervisors or officers.
2.CLW created history by producing 700 locomotives in FY 2024-25, which is the highest number of locomotives produced by any production unit in India. What factors contributed to this increased capacity?
It was a proud moment for this country as well as Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) to achieve a production capacity of 700 electric locomotives, which was approximately 21% higher than FY 2023-24. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) has been strongly determined to cater to increased demand due to a strong push for railway electrification across India. There were many factors such as timely and adequate availability of all the materials required for loco production, redistribution of available manpower to achieve the production targets, ensuring availability of required machines and infrastructure, enhancing the moral of staff and supervisors by ensuring their timely promotions and redressal of their grievances, close monitoring of various critical activities to avoid any disruption, enforcing the habit of doing first time right and ensuring availability of better tooling and measuring gadgets for enhancing the efficiency.
3. As Indian Railways moves toward complete electrification, what is the roadmap for CLW to further scale up its production capacity to meet the growing demand for electric locomotives?
Electrification of railway tracks reduces dependency on fossil fuels and decreases diesel consumption, resulting in lower carbon emissions. The demand for locomotives has also increased due to projects such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor and Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals. It is evident that CLW has ramped up its production. For instance, the Dankuni unit contributed 156 locomotives in FY 2024–25, and its expansion is in the pipeline to further boost capacity. State-of-the-art new infrastructure facilities, such as CNC machining, Coordinate Measuring Machine, etc. are being created to increase production and improve reliability of the loco.
We are aware that Railways are carrying out electrification at a rate of 3,000 RKM or more every year, and 99% of the broad-gauge track has already been electrified, requiring more electric locomotives. This year, it is targeted to produce 777 locomotives, out of which 347 WAG-9 locomotives and 30 Amrit Bharat locomotives have been produced till August 2025, and we are committed to achieving the production target given by the Railway Board. We are also expanding the vendor base rapidly, especially for critical components like IGBT-based propulsion systems, blowers and motors, transformers, etc., to ensure availability of materials.
4.What new locomotive models or variants has CLW introduced recently? How do they address the specific needs of modern Indian Railways?
In recent times, Indian Railways has undergone a huge transformation. Keeping with the key objective of the National Rail Plan to provide high-haulage locomotives for the Dedicated Freight Corridor and high-speed locomotives for passenger transport, CLW has produced 57 nos. of 9,000 HP WAG-9 locomotives and 125 EF12K twin locomotives of 12,000 HP, which are suitable to haul higher tonnage loads. Also, CLW has developed DPWCS (Distributed Power Wireless Control System), which enables five locomotives to work in unison with a single set of loco pilots in the front locomotive and only one loco pilot in the last locomotive. In this way, five goods trains can be joined together and hauled in certain sections, such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor, which increases the throughput of the line with less manpower. A “Super Anaconda,” consisting of three rakes with 177 loaded wagons amounting to 15,000 tons, was run successfully from Lajkura to Rourkela. “Sheshnag,” consisting of 251 wagons and five rakes, was run in the Nagpur Division.
5.CLW has played a key role in developing locomotives for the Amrit Bharat Express, particularly the WAP-5 model. Could you elaborate on the unique features and capabilities of these locomotives?
CLW has developed the WAP-5 push-pull aerodynamic locomotive for the Amrit Bharat Express, which is a state-of-the-art locomotive developed to meet the current requirements of modern Indian Railways. The configuration of Amrit Bharat trains has one locomotive at the front and one at the back of the train, but the traction and braking of both locomotives are controlled by the front locomotive, resulting in better acceleration and deceleration with reduced turnaround time. The locomotive is equipped with a redesigned driver desk, provision of air conditioning, and a comfortable seat, enabling loco pilots and assistant loco pilots to work in a comfortable environment. The aerodynamic cab, with an impact-resistant windshield, improves energy efficiency and safety. A Remote Monitoring System (RMS) has also been installed, which provides real-time parameters of the locomotive, helping in assessing its health, which can further be used for predictive maintenance and thus reduce downtime. There is a HOG (Head-on Generation) unit inside the locomotive, which powers onboard systems in the train and eliminates the need for a separate power car, saving fuel and space.
6.What new technologies are being integrated into the latest locomotives being manufactured at CLW?
With the advent of new technologies, Indian Railways has also adopted them across different verticals to increase operational efficiency and provide passengers with higher standards of comfort and safety. CLW has introduced many new technologies in recent times. A few important ones are as follows:
- Push-pull compliant locomotives have been developed based on the FSK methodology for the Amrit Bharat locomotive. This gives better acceleration and higher speed to the train.
- A Remote Monitoring System has been provided in the locomotive, which monitors the health of locomotive components and aids in predictive maintenance of equipment, thereby reducing online failures of the locomotive.
- In Head-on Generation, the capacity is being increased to 600 KVA to facilitate passengers by introducing more charging points, light points, etc. Two extra coaches can be added to the train, which will increase the berthing capacity.
- For goods trains, DPWCS (Distributed Power Wireless Control System) is being installed in locomotives, which has the advantage of hauling multiple rakes and enhances the throughput of the section with fewer loco pilots..
- An IP-based Video Surveillance System (VSS) is another technological advancement, which monitors crew behaviour and later helps in taking corrective action
- Ergonomically designed seats for the crew, air conditioning, and a waterless urinal (WLU) have been provided for the comfort of loco pilots.
7.As a major manufacturing unit, how is CLW using automation to optimise its production processes, improve quality control, and enhance supply chain management?
CLW is planning to introduce robotic welding, automatic torqueing devices, and coordinate measuring machines to achieve a better-quality product. CLW is already an IRIS-certified organisation, and well-established check sheets and processes are being followed. IMMS and UDM modules are being utilized to monitor the supply of components and take preventive action in advance for the smooth supply of materials. To maintain a regular supply of material, we are developing new vendors for critical components who are having good quality standards in manufacturing. For quality control at vendor premises, STRs have been defined, and test protocols have been provided in the specifications themselves. Also, reviews of the manufacturing processes at vendor premises are being conducted from time to time by CLW.
8.How is CLW preparing to upgrade its locomotives? What research and development initiatives are currently being undertaken to support this effort?
At present, CLW is working on some new projects like the development of the Drive Gear System, which will increase the speed of the locomotive, and the Remote Monitoring System, which will help in improving the reliability of locomotives and predicting failures beforehand. Another project is the development of the Smart TM Bearing Monitoring System, which will predict the failure of traction motors beforehand so that locomotives can be attended to in time, reducing failures on the Line. CLW has given a project to IIT Kanpur for AI-based health monitoring and predictive maintenance of locomotives, for which a dedicated server setup has been finalized and will be set-up at CLW. CLW is also doing a developmental project with CDAC and MeITY for the development of a new propulsion system with the latest technology, with very high availability and reliability.
9.What initiatives is CLW taking to make the manufacturing process more sustainable? Can you provide details on your efforts in areas like renewable energy, waste management, and reducing the carbon footprint of your operations?
CLW has already installed solar rooftop units with a capacity of 6.5MW and is planning to add 1.5MW. CLW will be providing a battery storage system of 5MWh capacity, which will store energy during the daytime for use in night hours. This will reduce the maximum demand during the daytime, which will save energy bills. CLW has also provided 4,000 BLDC energy-efficient fans and is planning to add a further 8,000 to reduce energy consumption. A 5S management system is in place, and contracts have been awarded for proper segregation and regular disposal of waste. CLW has banned the use of single-use plastic in the CLW township as a commitment to save nature.
10.Are there any plans for CLW to tap into international markets and expand its footprint?
CLW is actively exploring international market entry by participating in global tenders through RITES, the export arm of Indian Railways. It is seen that there is a demand for electric cape-gauge and standard-gauge locomotives in the African continent. This is not a regular product of CLW, as Indian Railways works on broad gauge only. However, we are now planning to develop electric cape-gauge as well as standard-gauge locomotives in coordination with RITES to explore the international market.
11.What message would you like to convey to the readers of Metro Rail News?
CLW is well aware of the requirements and expectations of our travellers and is continuously striving to produce locomotives with higher hauling capacity and higher speed with improved reliability. We will produce locomotives which will meet the growing demand of Indian Railways
