Wabtec Wins $157MM Siemens Brake Order
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
(Siemens Mobility Photograph)
Wabtec Corporation on Jan. 24 reporting landing a $157 million brake system order from the Mobility Business of Siemens India Private Limited for Indian Railways’ (IR) new line of 1,200 electric locomotives for freight service.
Wabtec will supply Siemens with brake systems from the Hosur plant—its primary manufacturing facility for transit products in India—and provide maintenance services for 35 years. Siemens and IR will assemble the 9000 h.p. locomotives at the Indian Railways factory in Dahod, in the state of Gujarat, India, and maintain them at IR depots in Vishakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur, and Pune. Siemens was awarded the $3.8 billion IR contract, which includes 35 years of full-service maintenance, in January 2023. At that time, it was the largest locomotive order the company had ever won. Siemens will design, manufacture, commission, and test the locomotives, with deliveries planned over an 11-year period from 2024. The locomotives will be able to haul trains of 4,500 tons at up to 75 mph (120 kph) and will be equipped with advanced propulsion systems produced locally in Siemens Mobility factories in India.
Wabtec, which already supplies brake systems for other IR and metro projects, said the new “high-performance brake system” order will equip the Siemens-built locomotives with “critical safety features” and offer “high reliability and reduced maintenance intervals.”
“Wabtec is committed to the delivery of high-performance and safety-critical products for the Indian market,” said Sujatha Narayan, Senior Vice President and India Region Leader for Wabtec, whose Transit business in India builds major subsystems, including brake systems, pantographs, couplers, air-conditioning systems, and passenger access doors, and whose engineering units in Hosur and Bangalore, India, provide technical and service support. “The ILS series of braking system is a product ‘Made in India’, which is designed and developed by the India-based engineering team.”
“Siemens is firmly committed to transform rail and mobilize India with cutting-edge technologies and solutions,” Siemens Limited Head of Mobility Business Gunjan Vakharia said. “We are excited about our partnership with Wabtec, who also shares a similar vision of creating a green and world-class railway network.”
“These new locomotives will help increase freight transport on one of the world’s largest rail networks, as they can replace between 500,000 and 800,000 trucks over their lifecycle,” Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter reported when IR awarded the contract in January 2023. “This historic order cements a firm commitment from Indian Railways to achieve 100% electrification of rail traffic in India. Our partnership will further strengthen Siemens Mobility’s position in India and support the country’s expanding railway market.”
