PM Modi Flags Off First Made-in-Bihar Locomotive for Export to Guinea
Bihar
4 min read
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the export of the first made-in-Bihar locomotive to the African country of Guinea on 20 June 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Siwan in Bihar, where he laid down the foundation stone and inaugurated various development projects.
The locomotives have been manufactured at the Marhowrah Diesel Locomotive Plant in Bihar's Saran district.
From Bihar, the Prime Minister will visit Odisha and chair a State-level function at Bhubaneswar to commemorate the completion of one year of the Mohan Charan Manjhi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Odisha.
About the Marhowra Diesel Locomotive Plant
Wabtec Locomotive Private Limited owns the Marhowrah Diesel Locomotive plant.
The Wabtec Locomotive Private Limited is a joint venture of the American company Wabtec and the Indian Railways.
It is located in Marhowrah, Saran district of Bihar.
Wabtec holds a 75 % share in the company, while the Indian Railways holds a 25% share.
The plant commenced operation in 2018 and can produce 4,500 and 6,000 horsepower freight locomotives.
The plant used to produce freight locomotives only for the Indian market, but now it is being exported for the first time.
Export to Guinea
A contract was signed by Webtec to supply 150 diesel power freight locomotives to Guinea.
- Guinea will receive 150 locomotives over three years, which will be used in the country’s Simandou iron ore project.
- The Simandou iron ore project is one of the largest iron ore projects in the world.
- The locomotive has been customised according to Guinea's demand. It has an air-conditioned cabin for the loco pilots, along with refrigerators, microwaves, and a waterless toilet system.
PM Modi's other engagement in Bihar
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Rs 400 crore Vaishali–Deoria railway line project.
He flagged off the Vande Bharata Express connecting Patliputra to Gorakhpur via Muzaffarpur and Bettiah.
He laid the foundation stone for a cumulative 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity in Bihar.
BESS will be installed in 15 grid substations of the state in various cities with a capacity of 20 to 80 MWH.
He also inaugurated six Sewage Treatment Plants constructed under the Namami Gange project.
Republic of Guinea
It is a West African country along the Atlantic Ocean coast.
The country has around one-third of the world's known bauxite reserves, which are used to make aluminium.
It also has a significant reserve of high-grade Iron ore, gold, and diamonds.
Capital: Conakry
Currency: Guinean franc
President: Col. Mamady Doumbouya
Also Read: Record Locomotive and Coach production by Indian Railways in 2024-25
