Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first of the new D9 – 9000 HP electric locomotives at Indian Railways' factory in Dahod, Gujarat. This event follows Siemens Mobility's award for designing, engineering, manufacturing, and maintaining 1,200 such locomotives. Key components are produced in Siemens' factories located in Nashik, Aurangabad, and Mumbai, with final assembly taking place at the Dahod facility.
The Dahod plant was constructed in under two years and includes advanced features like Virtual Reality-based safety training and a locomotive simulator. Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, stated that "Prime Minister Modi’s visit marks a proud milestone in our journey to deliver 1,200 high-performance electric locomotives for India." He added that the D9 symbolizes sustainable progress and aims to increase rail freight share while potentially replacing up to 800,000 trucks.
These locomotives have a maximum speed of 120 km/h and can haul up to 5,800 tons across India's extensive rail network. Siemens will maintain these locomotives for their entire lifespan of 35 years using their Railigent X platform for predictive maintenance. The inclusion of digital tracking systems and green propulsion technology positions these units as leaders in modern rail transport.