Walking ahead with the idea of ‘Make in India, Make for World’, the Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), a flagship production unit of Indian Railways has exported a total of 174 locomotives to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Tanzania, Sudan, Mozambique, Senegal, Angola, Mali and Malaysia till June this year.
The BLW has manufactured Broad Gauge (1676 mm), Cape Gauge (1067 mm) and Meter Gauge (1000mm) locomotives for the Export Market.
This year, India is exporting 10 Diesel Electric Locomotives of 3300 horsepower (HP) to Mozambique. These locomotives are manufactured by the BLW.
During the years 2021-22 and 2022-23, the BLW successfully supplied 6 diesel locomotives (3000 HP, AC-AC) to Mozambique Railways (CFM).
The Mozambique Railways has awarded another major contract to the BLW of manufacture and supply of 10 state-of-the-art 3300 HP AC-AC Diesel-Electric Locomotives.
Talking to The Statesman, Executive Director of Information and Publicity at the Railway Board Dilip Kumar said, “Two Locomotives have been successfully dispatched to Mozambique in June 2025, remaining eight are planned to be dispatched by December 2025.”
In the financial year 2024-25, the BLW manufactured a record 472 electric locomotives, which is a strong step towards self-reliant India. On July 19, the Rail Engine Factory created history by manufacturing 2,500 electric locomotives for the nation in eight years.
The WAP-7 class 6000 HP engine was the 2500th electric locomotive which was flagged off by the Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) General Manager Naresh Pal Singh on Saturday in Varanasi. Built with cutting-edge technology and indigenous innovation, the 2500th electric locomotive reflects BLW’s rapid growth since it began producing electric engines in 2017. Reaching this milestone within just eight years is considered a record in Indian Railways’ manufacturing history.
At the event, General Manager Singh was joined by BLW’s empowered workforce, including women employees like fitter Anita Devi and assistant Shruti Srivastava, symbolising the increasing participation of women in core engineering roles.
Ahead of the flag-off ceremony, officials of the BLW presented a detailed overview of BLW’s progress through a multimedia presentation. The session highlighted the factory’s achievements in locomotive production, exports, green energy initiatives, and ongoing development projects.
Technically advanced, the new WAP-7 electric locomotive is equipped with real-time monitoring systems, air-conditioned driver cabs, regenerative braking, and a modified gear ratio for hauling high-speed passenger and express trains at speeds up to 140 km/h. It will be deployed at the South-Western Railway’s Krishnarajapuram shed.
Since its inception, the BLW has manufactured a total of 10,822 locomotives, including 7498 diesel and 2500 electric engines.