India Becomes World’s No.1 Locomotive Producer with 1,600 Units

India has officially become the world’s largest locomotive manufacturer, producing 1,600 locomotives in the last financial year—surpassing the combined output of the United States, Europe, and Japan. Announcing this achievement at a CII event on May 30, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that India is not only leading in quantity but also integrating cutting-edge technologies to build some of the most advanced locomotives globally.

In addition to this manufacturing milestone, India has risen to second place worldwide in rail cargo-carrying capacity, overtaking both the United States and Russia. With a cargo capacity of 1,612 million tonnes, the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) are instrumental in ensuring uninterrupted movement of goods trains—thereby easing road congestion, cutting CO₂ emissions by 95%, and reducing oil imports.

Under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, Indian Railways is redeveloping stations and expanding networks through new line construction and doubling projects. It has also manufactured 41,000 LHB coaches over the last decade, aiming to replace all older coaches with modern counterparts within three years. These concerted efforts signal India’s ambition to emerge as a leading railway exporter and a global benchmark in rail infrastructure and manufacturing.