India's First Diesel Locomotive Engine 5500 HP

New Delhi, 12 March 2015:  Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. (EMD), a wholly owned subsidiary of Progress Rail Services Corporation, a Caterpillar Company, today congratulated the Indian Railways on its recent landmark technological achievement– the WDG5 locomotive, one of the most robust and technologically advanced locomotives designed and produced by Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi and Research Standards & Development Organization (RDSO), in Lucknow, with support from EMD.

Billy Ainsworth, President and Chief Executive Officer of Progress Rail and EMD said, “We are extremely pleased to be a part of the Indian Railways growth story. EMD has had a long and valued association of more than 50 years with the Indian Railways. We will continue our support of this alliance by developing and providing EMD best-in-class, worldwide locomotive technology. Designed specifically for the Indian Railways, the WDG5 locomotive model provides the basis for future product development in this strategic market. This is a state-of-art locomotive design, which will prove to be one of the most versatile and powerful diesel locomotives in the region, capable of running on existing tracks and also on the future dedicated freight corridors.

With an output of 5,500 bhp, the WDG5 is the strongest diesel locomotive ever to run on the Indian rail network. In combination with its record high tractive effort of 560 KN, it can pull significantly more load at higher speeds, thus enabling Indian Railways to increase the system throughput in the rail network.

The WDG5 locomotive design is a significant enhancement over the existing high horsepower diesel locomotives currently in use on the Indian Railways.  Other highlighted features of the WDG5 include electronic fuel injection, radial grids and high adhesion, lightweight fabricated bogies.  

Crashworthiness and locomotive pilot comforts are salient features, which are crucial aspects for safety. The locomotive sports a state-of-art driver console with modern driver interface and crew friendly features like an air-conditioned cab and a toilet, another first for the Indian Railways fleet. 

The WDG5 locomotive has the capability to integrate EMD’s Intellitrain™ remote diagnostic and monitoring systems to reduce maintenance costs, enhance safety, and increase asset utilization, reliability and availability.

EMD also intends to work with Indian Railways on several joint initiatives to meet upcoming emission standards.

About Progress Rail Services Corporation and Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc.:

Progress Rail Services Corporation (Progress Rail), a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., is a leading supplier of remanufactured locomotive and railcar products and services to the railroad industry, operating one of the most extensive rail service and supply networks in North America. More than 8,000 employees serve customers in a network of more than 165 locations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.Progress Rail is headquartered in Albertville, Ala.

Through the acquisition of Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. (EMD), Progress Rail has expanded its network of global locations, furthering a commitment to providing industry-leading products and services. Founded in 1922, Electro-Motive Diesel is an original equipment manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives. With offices in LaGrange, Ill., EMD designs, manufactures and sells diesel-electric locomotives for all commercial railroad applications and is a global provider of diesel engines for marine propulsion, offshore and land-based oil well drilling rigs and stationary power generation. The company is the only diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer to have produced more than 72,500 engines and has the largest installed base in both North America and worldwide. EMD also has an extensive aftermarket business offering replacement parts, maintenance solutions and a range of value-added services. 

For more information, visit www.progressrail.com.

About Caterpillar:

For 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2014 sales and revenues of $55.184 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three product segments - Resource Industries, Construction Industries and Power Systems - and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visitcaterpillar.com/social-media.

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Progress Rail Media Contact:

Barbara Jansen
Office: 256.505.5054
bjansen@progressrail.com