Aluminum freight rake, a first for Indian railways

Bhubaneswar: Recently Hindalco launched India’s first all-aluminum freight rail rakes which helps to fast-track the country’s ambitious plan to modernize freight transportation and allow large carbon savings for Indian Railways. The gleaming rakes are 180 tons lighter than existing steel rakes, which can carry 5-10 percent more payload, and consume less energy with relatively negligible wear and tear to rolling stock and rails.

Flagging off the new 61-wagon rake from Bhubaneswar station, which will carry coal for communications, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hindalco’s Aditya Smelter in Lapanga, Union Minister of Railways, Odisha, Electronics, and Information Technology, said that this was a proud moment for the country and our drive for indigenization as these lightweight aluminum wagons are a big innovation for Indian Railways.

These wagons save 14,500 tons of CO₂ emissions, have more carrying capacity, consume less energy, and are corrosion-resistant. They can be recyclable and will be as good as new even after 30 years. These aluminum wagons will help us to achieve our climate goals. The bottom discharge aluminum freight wagon, specifically designed to carry coal, is tipped to lessen the carbon footprint measurably. For every 100 kg weight reduction of the wagon, the lifetime CO₂ saving is 8-10 tons. This translates to saving more than 14,500 tons of CO₂ for a single rake. In the coming years, the Railways is hoping to get more than one lakh wagons, the potential annual CO₂ drop could be to the tune of more than25 lakh tons, with say 15-20 percent shift to aluminum wagons which is a notable contribution to the country’s sustainability goals.

Mr. Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries said that the launch of India’s first aluminum freight rake is a testimony to our capability and commitment to offer smart and sustainable solutions for nation-building. Hindalco is committed to bringing together the best of global technologies with local resources to improve Indian Railways’ logistics and contribute to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. The new generation wagons, which were invented by M/S BESCO based on RDSO-approved design are made from high-strength aluminum alloy plates and extrusions, indigenously made at Hindalco’s state-of-the-art rolling facility in Hirakud, Odisha with extrusions from the company’s Renukoot plant in UP, leveraging its global technology. These all-aluminum rakes give a 19 percent higher payload-to-tare weight ratio, which will have a transformative impact on the Railways’ logistics and operational efficiency.

The freight sector in India is expected to grow by more than 7 percent CAGR to 15 billion tons by 2050, with the energy-efficient and eco-friendly Railways expected to rise its volume share from the current 18 percent. Hindalco is also hoping to participate in the manufacturing of aluminum coaches for high-speed passenger trains. In the United States, Japan, and Europe, the aluminum trains command a lion’s share because of their qualities such as aerodynamic design, sleekness, and capability to tilt at high speedswithout going off the rails.

Aluminium is the preferred choice for metro trains worldwide because of its durability and most importantly passenger safety, as it has improved crashworthiness or superior crash absorption capability. Indian Railways have already announced their plans to make aluminum-bodied Vande Bharat train sets. Hindalco is highly dedicated to bringing this revolutionary change to India and is involved in discussions with global partners to create a beneficial ecosystem in India.