The Railway Minister inaugurates India’s first all-aluminium freight train | So Good News

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the rake, “61 BOBRNALHSM1”, at Bhubaneswar railway station, Odisha.

“This is a dedicated effort for the Make in India program as it is fully designed and developed indigenously in collaboration with RDSO, Hindalco and Besco Wagon,” a Railway Ministry statement said.

Furthermore, the specific weight, the weight of an empty vehicle or container, of aluminum is 3.25 tonnes lower than that of steel.

Flagging off the new 61-car rake from Bhubaneswar station, which will carry coal to Hindalco’s Aditya Smelter in Lapanga, Odisha, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways, said: “These wagons save 14,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions, have more carrying capacity, consume less energy and are corrosion resistant. They are 100% recyclable and even after 30 years they will be as good as new. These aluminum wagons will enable us to reach our climate goals.”

With the railways planning to deploy more than one lakh wagons in the coming years, the potential annual CO2 reduction could be over 25 lakh tonnes, with 15-20% shift to aluminum wagons, the Hindalco statement said.

Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries said, “The launch of India’s first aluminum freighter is a testament to our capability and commitment to provide smart and sustainable solutions for nation building. Hindalco is steadfast in bringing together the best of global technologies with local resources to make Indian Railways’ logistics more efficient and contribute to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

The freight sector in India is expected to grow at more than 7% CAGR to 15 billion tonnes by 2050, and the energy-efficient and eco-friendly railways are expected to increase their volume share from the current 18%.

Hindalco also plans to participate in the production of aluminum coaches for high-speed passenger trains. Aluminum trains dominate the lion’s share of the US, Europe and Japan due to features such as sleek, aerodynamic design and their ability to tilt at high speeds without derailing.

Aluminum is the preferred choice for subway trains worldwide due to its durability and most importantly – passenger safety, as it has enhanced crashworthiness or superior crash absorption capabilities. Indian Railways has already announced its plans to make Vande Bharat trainsets in aluminium.

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