Railway Minister flags off India’s first all-aluminium freight rail wagons

All-aluminium freight rail wagons were flagged off on Sunday.

India's first all-aluminium freight rail wagons were flagged off on Sunday in Odisha's Bhubaneswar. The gleaming rakes are 180 tonnes lighter than existing steel rakes, can carry 5-10 per cent more payload, and consume less energy with relatively negligible wear and tear to rolling stock and rails. The bottom discharge aluminium freight wagon, specifically designed to carry coal, is tipped to reduce the carbon footprint measurably. It was flogged off by Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The new generation wagons, fabricated by M/S BESCO based on RDSO-approved design are made from high-strength aluminium 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.

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These all-aluminium rakes offer 19 per cent 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 at more than 7 per cent CAGR to 15-billion tonnes by 2050, with the energy-efficient and eco-friendly Railways expected to notably increase its volume share from the current 18 per cent.

Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries said, "The launch of India's first aluminium freight rake is a testimony to our capability and commitment to offer smart and sustainable solutions for nation-building. Hindalco is steadfast in bringing together the best of global technologies with local resources to make Indian Railways' logistics more efficient and contribute to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat."

Aluminium is the preferred choice for metro trains worldwide for 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 aluminium-bodied Vande Bharat train sets. Hindalco is committed to bringing in this revolutionary change in India and is engaged in discussions with global partners to set up a conducive ecosystem in India.