Zurich-based industrial company ABB was selected by Indian Railways to provide converters for electric locomotives that it will manufacture in India. It is the company's largest traction equipment order in India.

The converters - which convert power from the grid to traction current for locomotives - are custom designed for Indian Railways and will be manufactured at one of ABB's largest factories for locomotive applications in Nelamangala, near Bengaluru, in Southern India. The electric locomotives will be produced by the Indian railways' Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), in Varanasi. Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO, ABB, said: “We are delighted to be contributing to the electrification of India's rail network with ABB's locally manufactured solutions.”

“By adopting advanced technologies, India is achieving rapid improvements in growth and productivity and shaping its economy for the era of digitalisation.” The order is part of the Indian railway's transition from diesel to electric locomotives. Last year, the Indian government approved plans to fully electrify the Indian Railways by 2022. ABB already accounts for converters on 20 per cent of the country's three-phase electric locomotives.