The Marhowra Plant in Bihar has been a vital supplier of locomotives for Indian Railways. Wabtec Locomotive Private Limited is a joint venture between Indian Railways and Wabtec. The plan is to enhance the plant's capabilities to manufacture locomotives for export. A strategic expansion, thanks to this significant move can be seen as the first shipments will be targeting customers in Africa.
Established in 2018, the Marhowra facility is poised to become a key player in the global locomotive industry, showcasing India's manufacturing prowess on an international stage. Marhowra plant was established to manufacture 1,000 locomotives with state-of-the-art technology for Indian Railways indigenously.
This initiative is strategically significant as it positions India as a global hub for locomotive manufacturing, aligning with the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Made for the World’ initiatives under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Covering 70 acres, the Marhowra plant employs approximately 600 people and has been producing 100 locomotives yearly for Indian Railways. This facility has also stimulated industrial activity in the region. The successful public-private partnership between the Ministry of Railways and Wabtec has established Marhowra as a world-class manufacturing site, leveraging a broad local supplier network across India. Till date, over 650 locomotives have been manufactured and added to the Indian Railways locomotive fleet.
The Ministry and Wabtec will continue to collaborate to enhance the plant’s capabilities and competitiveness, ensuring its readiness for sustainable long-term export production. The Marhowra plant will be exporting standard-gauge locomotives internationally, expand the local supplier network, and create long-term job opportunities, benefitting the Indian economy.
