Engineers of Ludhiana's Electric Loco Shed make first battery-operated engine of Northern Railway

Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], Aug 20 : The electric engineers of Northern Railway have built a battery-operated engine, which can be used for shunting operations. It is built from the old electric locomotive engines at a cost of Rs 5 lakhs in a month's time.
According to a senior official, engineers at the Electric Loco Shed here, under the Ferozepur Division of the Northern Railway have built the battery-operated engine which would decrease shunting time. This is the first battery-operated engine of Norther Railway and the fourth such engine in the country.

"We have built the battery-operated engine from the old electric locomotive engines. This is the first battery-powered engine of the Northern Railway and the fourth such engine in India which will be used used for shunting. We have built it in one month during coronavirus-induced lockdown at a cost of Rs 5 lakhs without purchasing any component from outside. We have used the parts of old engines. It will reduce the consumption of diesel," senior divisional electrical engineer Mohan Swaroop of Electric Loco Shed told ANI.

Built from components of the condemned electrical locomotive, the battery-operated engine would save approximately Rs 4 lakh spent on diesel per month, Swaroop said.
"We are using the engine on a trial basis. The Railway Board will discuss it and make a decision accordingly whether to make more such engines or not. The battery-operated engine could achieve a maximum speed of 15 kmph. We can shunt three locomotives in it," he said.
"It would an environment-friendly machine as it would help in the reduction of consumption of diesel and lower consumption of battery," he added.