After achieving near-total electrification of its network, the national transporter is moving to eliminate the remaining diesel locomotives, beginning with yard operations, shunting, and last-mile freight movement.
India is stepping up the use of battery-powered and alternative fuel-based locomotives to replace diesel engines used for short- and medium-distance operations. This push comes as electrification of the rail network is almost complete, with only 405 route kilometres (rkm) pending out of the total 70,117 rkm.
Officials familiar with the plans said attention has now shifted to phasing out nearly 2,500 diesel locomotives through retrofitting or replacement with cleaner propulsion technologies.
The initial phase will focus on substituting diesel engines deployed in yards, shunting services, and last-mile freight connectivity. These activities still depend heavily on diesel traction due to non-electrified or intermittently electrified stretches, a senior official noted.
While electric traction through overhead power supply remains the core strategy, officials said battery-powered solutions are being developed as a complementary option to meet specific operational needs where full electrification is not feasible.
In September last year, Concord Control Systems announced the successful conversion of a 700-horsepower diesel locomotive to operate on a lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) battery. More recently, the company revealed it is developing what it claims to be the world’s largest 3,100 HP hydrogen-fuelled locomotive propulsion system.
This high-powered hydrogen locomotive is being developed for public sector utility NTPC to transport coal for its power plants. Last month, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India is also testing the world’s longest hydrogen train set, comprising 10 coaches, and the most powerful at 2,400 kW, built on a broad-gauge platform.
Pilot initiatives involving lithium-ion and other onboard battery technologies began around six years ago. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works was assigned the task of producing 10 battery-powered locomotives. In addition, the Eastern Railway’s Kanchrapara workshop converted a motor coach into a battery-cum-25 kV shunting engine, capable of hauling both freight and passenger trains at low speeds in battery mode.
At present, Indian Railways continues to rely largely on diesel locomotives for long-distance freight operations, while most long-haul passenger services have transitioned to electric traction. In a significant development, Germany-based Siemens secured a contract worth about ₹26,000 crore to supply and maintain 1,200 electric freight locomotives. The contract was awarded in December 2022, with the first batch delivered in May 2025.
