Siemens hands over first D9 freight locomotives to Indian Railways
They are equipped with digital systems for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and performance optimisation, alongside integrated safety systems
Siemens Mobility has handed over the first of 1,200 electric freight locomotives to Indian Railways for commercial operations and opened the first maintenance depot for the fleet in Visakhapatnam. The development is part of a €3 billion project awarded in January 2023, which marked the largest locomotive order in the history of Siemens in India and for Siemens Mobility globally.
The first batch of D9 locomotives will enter service as part of Indian Railways’ freight operations. The locomotives are designed to operate at speeds of up to 120 km/h and can haul loads of up to 5,800 tonnes under defined gradients with an axle load of 22.5 tonnes. With a power output of 9,000 hp, the D9 is positioned as the most powerful six-axle electric freight locomotive in India’s fleet.
The locomotives are also the first rolling stock of Indian Railways to be tested to the European standard EN 14363. They are equipped with digital systems including Railigent X for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and performance optimisation, alongside integrated safety systems aimed at supporting operational reliability across the network.
“The handover of the first D9 locomotives and the opening of the new maintenance depot in Visakhapatnam are major milestones in this landmark project and our long-term partnership with Indian Railways,” said Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility. “With our leading technology, we are supporting the country’s goal of shifting more freight to rail, boosting logistics efficiency, and significantly reducing CO₂ emissions for decades to come. Together, we are bringing one of the world’s most powerful and energy-efficient freight locomotives into service – manufactured and maintained in India.”
The project is structured as a lifecycle partnership covering design, manufacturing, commissioning, and 35 years of maintenance. Siemens Mobility will service the fleet through four depots located in Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur, and Pune. The company will manage spare parts, materials, maintenance planning, and documentation, supported by digital systems to improve fleet availability.
The launch of the Visakhapatnam depot marks the beginning of this maintenance network, which is expected to support long-term operations of the D9 fleet across India. The use of data-driven systems is intended to enable continuous monitoring and maintenance planning over the lifecycle of the locomotives.
India operates one of the largest rail networks in the world, with over 22,000 trains and around 24 million passengers daily. The government aims to increase the share of rail in freight transport to between 40 and 45 per cent from about 27 per cent at present, with electrification playing a central role in this transition.
Siemens Mobility has been working with Indian Railways for several decades, providing rail infrastructure, rolling stock, and related technologies for passenger and freight transport. The current project adds to this engagement with a focus on freight capacity and network efficiency.
