India’s First Aluminum Freight Rake
Source: PIB
GS II: Policies and Developmental Studies

What is discussed under India’s First Aluminum Freight Rake?

1. Features of Aluminum Freight Rake
2. Indian Railways and Hindalco’s Ambitious Project

Why in News?

Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, launched India’s First Aluminum Freight Rake – 61 BOBRNALHSM1 at Bhubaneswar Railway Station.

Key Highlights

• Besco Limited Wagon Division, an Indian wagon manufacturer, teamed up with Hindalco, an Indian aluminium company, to create a new form of railway rake.
• It is the first aluminium rake made in India for Indian Railways freight trains.
• The new rakes, which weigh 180 tonnes less than standard ones, will allow faster speeds, more significant freight, and lower power use.
• The wagons were built using high-strength aluminium alloy plates at Hindalco’s Hirakud factory, around 300 kilometres from Bhubaneswar.

Features of Aluminum Freight Rake

• Reduce carbon footprint:
  • The bottom discharge aluminium freight wagon, particularly built to transport coal, is tilted to significantly decrease the carbon footprint.
  • The lifetime CO2 savings are 8-10 tonnes for every 100 kg weight decrease of the wagon.
  • This equates to a CO2 savings of around 14,500 tonnes for a single rake.
• More carrying capacity
  • The aluminium-made rakes are 180 tonnes lighter than existing steel rakes; they can carry 5-10 per cent more load.
  • Has a higher payload-to-tare ratio of 2.85.
• Consume less energy
• Corrosion-resistant
  • Lower maintenance cost due to higher corrosion and abrasion resistance.
• Recyclable
  • 80% is the resale value of the rakes.

    

Indian Railways and Hindalco’s Ambitious Project

• Despite being 35% more expensive to produce than standard rakes, aluminium waggons are predicted to survive 10 years longer and have a greater resale value.
• The new rake will allow for the transport of 180 tonnes more cargo.
• This initiative should also assist India in reducing nickel and cadmium imports in favour of the native aluminium sector.
• According to a press statement from Hindalco, the Indian Railways and Hindalco are proposing a 15-20% shift to aluminium wagons.
• Given that Indian Railways plans to deploy over 100,000 wagons over the next five years, the use of aluminium wagons would considerably assist the country in meeting its climate targets.

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