Siemens Mobility Hands Over First D9 Freight Locomotive to Indian Railways

Siemens Mobility has officially handed over the first electric freight locomotive under its €3 billion contract with Indian Railways. The companies also opened the fleet’s first maintenance depot in Visakhapatnam.

The order for 1,200 locomotives, awarded in January 2023, remains the largest locomotive contract in Siemens Mobility’s history as well as the largest order ever secured by Siemens India.

The new D9 locomotives are designed for freight operations at speeds of up to 120 km/h and are the first rolling stock of Indian Railways successfully tested according to the European EN 14363 standard. With 9,000 hp, the six-axle locomotives are currently the most powerful electric freight locomotives in India. During regular operation, each locomotive will be capable of hauling loads of up to 5,800 tonnes on defined gradients with an axle load of 22.5 tonnes.

The project is being delivered under a lifecycle partnership model that includes design, manufacturing, commissioning and 35 years of full-service maintenance. Maintenance operations will be carried out through four depot locations in Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur and Pune. Siemens Mobility will provide spare parts management, maintenance planning, documentation and digital monitoring services throughout the fleet’s lifecycle. The locomotives are also equipped with Railigent X predictive maintenance technology, enabling condition monitoring and data-driven performance optimisation to improve reliability and fleet availability.

"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."

Supporting India’s Rail Freight Ambitions

India operates one of the world’s largest rail networks, carrying around 24 million passengers daily across more than 22,000 trains. The Indian government is also aiming to increase rail’s share of freight transport from approximately 27% to between 40% and 45%.

With one of the world’s most extensively electrified rail systems, India continues to position rail as a central part of its logistics and climate strategy. Siemens Mobility says the D9 project is intended to support both freight efficiency and long-term CO₂ reduction goals.

_{Source: Siemens Mobility}