Indian Railways operates India's railway system and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Railways of Government of India. , it maintains over of tracks and operates over 15,000 passenger and 10,000 freight trains daily with a fleet of more than 18,000 locomotives. The railways primarily operates a fleet of electric and diesel locomotives along with a few compressed natural gas (CNG) locomotives. Steam locomotives are operated on mountain railways and on heritage trains. As of February 2026, Indian Railways had 13,569 electric and 4,169 diesel locomotives.
History The history of the Indian Railway began in 1832 with the proposal to construct the first railway line in India at Madras. In 1837, the first train ran on Red Hill railway line between Red Hills and Chintadripet in Madras and was hauled by a rotary steam engine imported from England. In 1852, a steam locomotive imported from England was tried at Byculla. In 1853, the first passenger train ran between Bombay and Thane. It had 14 carriages hauled by three steam locomotives: the Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. In 1877, an Ajmer built F-1/734 steam locomotive became the first indigenously built locomotive in India. In 1925, the first electric train ran between Bombay and Kurla, hauled by a Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM) electric locomotive on 1500 V DC traction. The first diesel locomotive used in India was fabricated by North British Locomotive Company in 1954. During industrialisation in the colonial era, India also imported some used locomotive engines from other countries.
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, commissioned in 1950, was the first locomotive manufacturing unit in India. Banaras Locomotive Works, commissioned in 1961, is the second locomotive manufacturing unit operated by Indian Railways. In the 1960s, Integral Coach Factory-Chennai (ICF) started developing self-propelled electric multiple units for short-haul and local routes. BHEL and Patiala Locomotive Works, established in 1981, also manufacture locomotives in India. In 2015, the first compressed natural gas (CNG) powered trains were rolled out by ICF. In 2018, a semi-high speed self-propelled train-set capable of reaching speeds of over was rolled out from ICF. , Indian Railways maintains over of tracks and operates over 15,000 passenger and 10,000 freight trains daily with a fleet of over 17,000 locomotives. As of October 2025, Indian Railways had 13,035 electric and 4,165 diesel locomotives amongst others.
Locomotives are classified by track gauge, motive power, function, power rating and model in a four- or five-letter code. The locomotives may be Longer Hood Front (LHF), where the driver cabin is behind the hood of the engine or Short Hood Front (SHF), where the cabin is located towards the front.
+Locomotive classificationLetter positionDenotesClassification1Track gaugeW Broad gauge Y Metre gauge Z Narrow gauge N Narrower gauge 2Motive powerD Diesel C DC electric A AC electric DA Diesel + electric dual mode (only WDAP5) CA DC + AC dual electric B Battery3Use/ load/ tractionG Goods P Passenger M Mixed (goods and passenger) S Shunter U Multiple unit R Railcar4Model/ horsepowerVersion number Model number Number X 1000 HP5Sub-class/ sub-type/ power ratingIncrements of 100 HP (for diesel) A 100 HP B 200 HP C 300 HP and so on
Electric In 1925, the first electric train ran between Bombay and Kurla, hauled by a imported SLM locomotive on a DC traction. In 1927, the first electric locomotive hauled passenger train was pulled by an imported WCP-1. In 1957, Indian Railways adopted 25 kV 50 Hz AC traction with the first runs beginning in December 1959 with the WAM-1 locomotives.
Broad-gauge +Broad-gauge electric locomotivesTractionUsageNameImageManufacturerAxlesNumber builtProductionPower (HP)StatusWCP seriesDCPassengerWCP-1SLM2-Bo-A1221928–30RetiredWCP-2SLM2-Bo-A111938 RetiredWCP-3Hawthorn Leslie2-Co-211928 RetiredWCP-4Hawthorn Leslie, BBC2-Co-211928 RetiredWCM seriesDCMixedWCM-1English ElectricCo-Co71954–55 RetiredWCM-2 English ElectricCo-Co121956–57 RetiredWCM-3HitachiCo-Co31958 RetiredWCM-4HitachiCo-Co71960 RetiredWCM-5CLWCo-Co211961–63 RetiredWCM-6CLWCo-Co21995 In serviceWCG seriesDCGoodsWCG-1SLMC-C 411925–29 RetiredWCG-2CLWCo-Co571970–76 RetiredWAM seriesACMixedWAM-150 cycles groupB-B1001959–60 RetiredWAM-2MitsubishiBo-Bo361960–64 RetiredWAM-3MitsubishiBo-Bo21964 RetiredWAM-4CLWCo-Co5001970–83 RetiredWAP seriesACPassengerWAP-1CLWCo-Co651980–96 In serviceWAP-3CLWCo-Co91987–88 RetiredWAP-4CLWCo-Co7781994–2015 In serviceWAP-5 ABB, CLWBo-Bo2491995–present In serviceWAP-6CLWCo-Co171995–98 RetiredWAP-7CLW, BLW, PLWCo-Co23002000–present In serviceWDAP seriesDual (AC/diesel)PassengerWDAP-5BLWCo-Co12019– (diesel) (AC)In trialsWAG seriesACGoodsWAG-1SNCF, CLWB-B1121963–66 RetiredWAG-2Hitachi, MitsubishiB-B451964–65 RetiredWAG-3Henschel, CLWB-B101965 RetiredWAG-4CLWB-B1861966–69 RetiredWAG-5CLW, BHELCo-Co11961984–98 In serviceWAG-6AASEABo-Bo-Bo61987–89 RetiredWAG-6B/CHitachiBo-Bo-Bo121988 RetiredWAG-7CLWCo-Co20071992–2015 In serviceWAG-8BHELCo-Co11990 RetiredWAG-9ABB, CLWCo-Co891996–present In serviceWAG-9H/HC/ICLW, BHEL, BLW, PLW Co-Co73232006–present In serviceWAG-9HH/EF9KCLWCo-Co582020–present In serviceWAG-9/EF12KCLWCo-Co+Co-Co2182023–present In serviceWAG-10BLWCo-Co-Co-Co12018–present In serviceWAG-11BLWCo-Co-Co-Co42018–present In service WAG-12Alstom, ELFBo-Bo-Bo-Bo6392017–present In serviceWAG D-9SiemensCo-Co562025–present In TrialsWCAM seriesDual (DC/AC)MixedWCAM-1CLWCo-Co541975–79 (DC) (AC)RetiredWCAM-2CLWCo-Co201995–96 (DC) (AC)In serviceWCAM-3BHELCo-Co531997–98 (DC) (AC)In serviceWCAG seriesDual (DC/AC)GoodsWCAG-1BHELCo-Co121999–2000 (DC) (AC)In service
Metre-gauge +Metre-gauge electric locomotivesTractionUsageNameImageManufacturerAxlesNumber builtProductionPower (|HP)StatusDCGoodsYCG-1English ElectricBo-Bo41930RetiredACMixedYAM-1MitsubishiB-B201964–66Retired
Electric multiple units In 1925, the electric multiple units (EMU) introduced in Bombay were 1.5KV DC units imported from Cammell Laird and Uerdingenwagonfabrik. In the 1960s, EMUs were developed by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. Indian Railways uses multiple DC units in operation in several suburban sections which are classified from WCU-1 through WCU-15. BHEL developed AC-DC dual use EMUs which can run on 25kV AC and 1.5kV DC traction lines. In the late 1990s, MEMUs were developed which ran on 25KV AC power. AC electric multiple units are designated WAU-1 to WAU-4. In 2019, ICF rolled out three-phase AC units to replace conventional DC units.
Diesel In 1954, the first diesel locomotive was used in India, which was manufactured by North British Locomotive Company. In 1958, WDM-1, the first locomotive used for mainline traffic, was imported from ALCO. In 1964, the first broad-gauge WDM-2 diesel locomotive was rolled out by Banaras Locomotive Works.
Broad-gauge +Broad-gauge diesel locomotivesUsageNameNumbersImageManufacturerAxlesNumber builtProductionPower (HP)StatusWDM seriesMixedWDM-117000-17099ALCOCo-Co1001957–59RetiredWDM-216000-16887,17100-17999,18040-18079,18112-18514,18523-18900,18903-18999ALCO, BLWCo-Co27001962–98RetiredWDM-2G80000,80001PLWCo-Co22013RetiredWDM-318515-18522HenschelBo-Bo81970RetiredWDM-3A13xxx,14001-14057,14058-14143,16000-BLWCo-Co14311994–98In serviceWDM-3D11101 - 11590BLWCo-Co5002003–13In serviceWDM-418000-039,18080-18111GMCo-Co721962RetiredWDM-618901,18902BLWBo-Bo21981–82RetiredWDM-711001-11015BLWCo-Co151987–89In serviceWDP seriesPassengerWDP-115001-15069BLW, ALCOBo-Bo691995–99In serviceWDP-3A15501-15544BLW, ALCOCo-Co441998–2002In serviceWDP-420000-20103,40001-40608EMD, BLWCo-Co7112002–18In serviceWDG seriesGoodsWDG-2/3A14501-14999,13000-13665BLWCo-Co20041995–2010In serviceWDG-412001-12999,70001-70190EMD, BLWCo-Co11881999–2018In serviceWDG-4D70301-70882,12681BLWCo-Co5832012–2018In serviceWDG-4G49001-49700GE, DLFCo-Co6062017–presentIn serviceWDG-550001-50007BLWCo-Co72012–17In serviceWDG-6G69001-69300GE, DLFCo-Co2232018–presentIn serviceWDS seriesShunterWDS-119000-19014GEBo-Bo151944–45RetiredWDS-219016-19045Krauss-MaffeiC301954–55RetiredWDS-319046-19052Maschinenbau KielC71961RetiredWDS-419057-19732CLWC6621968–97RetiredWDS-519087-19107ALCO, BLWCo-Co211967RetiredWDS-6BLWCo-Co2701975–presentIn serviceWDS-8CLWBo-Bo51979–82Retired
In 2009, a YDM-4 locomotive was converted to a broad gauge shunter by Golden Rock Railway Workshop, codenamed WCDS-6, with C for "converted", and delivered to RITES.
Metre-gauge
+Metre-gauge diesel locomotivesUsageNameImageManufacturerAxlesNumber builtProductionPower (HP)StatusYDM seriesMixedYDM-1NBLB-B201955–56RetiredYDM-2CLWB-B411986–90RetiredYDM-3EMDB-B301961–62RetiredYDM-4ALCO, BLWCo-Co 5411961–93In serviceYDM-5GMC-C 251964Retired
gauge + gauge diesel locomotivesUsageNameImageManufacturerAxlesNumber builtProductionPower (HP)StatusZDM seriesMixedZDM-1Arnold JungB-B51955RetiredZDM-2Maschinenbau KielB-B251964–65RetiredZDM-3CLWB-B401970–82In serviceZDM-4CLW1-B-B-1491975–90In serviceZDM-5CLWB-B411989In service
gauge + gauge diesel locomotivesUsageNameImageManufacturerAxlesNumber builtProductionPower (HP)StatusNDM seriesMixedNDM-1Arnold JungB-B71955In serviceNDM-5CLWB-B 111987–89In serviceNDM-6SANB61997In service
Diesel railcars and multiple units In 1958, Commonwealth Engineering of Australia supplied an unknown number of , 83-seat broad-gauge diesel-mechanical railcars to Indian Railways, classified as WRD-1. Powered by a pair of 200 hp Leyland engines, it had an axle arrangement of 1A-1A1, and a top speed of .
In 1993-94, diesel multiple units (DMU) were introduced into service. Depending on their transmission system, they are classified as DEMU (diesel-electric transmission) or DHMU (diesel-hydraulic transmission). With the increase in electrification, DEMUS have been replaced by MEMUs in stages.
Steam Broad-gauge
In the 19th century, the railway companies ordered custom-built steam locomotives, usually from British manufacturers. With non-standardized and multiple designs, manufacturing cost was high and production was slow. During the 1890s, Indian railway companies imported locomotives from Germany and the United States when British manufacturers were suffering from work outages. The locomotives used included:
Bengal Nagpur Railway: Class F: Class GM: (probably modified) BNR class HSG: Garratt locomotive, first Garratt locomotive Class M: 4-6-2 (probably modified) BNR class N: Garratt, India's largest locomotive; One is preserved at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi BNR class NM: Ten were built in 1931 by Beyer, Peacock & Company; withdrawn in the late 1960s BNR class P: Garratt, four were built by Beyer, Peacock & Company in 1939; withdrawn in the early 1970s Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway: BB&CI class P: Class A: , an Atlantic; was at the Palej shed Class U36: , used on hauling suburban trains in Bombay Class D1: , one was named Princess May Class M: East Indian Railway Company: Class CT: , converted to a superheater EIR class G: , first two named Express and Fairy Queen; built in 1855, the latter is the world's oldest locomotive to be in working order and was rebuilt by ICF; housed at East Indian Railway (EIR) EIR class P: Great Indian Peninsula Railway: Sultan, Sahib and Sindh: hauled the first passenger train in 1853 Lord Falkland: 0-6-0 GIPR classes Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4: , used on Thal Ghat as bankers for pushing trains up the Western Ghats GIPR Class F and F3: 2-6-0 GIPR class J1: 0-6-0 Class D4: 4-6-0, one is named Hero Class D5: 4-6-0 passenger locomotive Class E1: 4-4-2 Atlantic built by the North British Locomotive Company in 1907–8; rebuilt with a superheater between 1925 and 1928 Class T: Tank locomotive used for hauling Mumbai suburban trains Class Y: 2-8-4T Crane tank: 0-6-0T, one is preserved at the National Rail Museum in New Delhi Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway: M&SM class V: 4-4-0, one is preserved Class BTC: 2-6-4T, based on BESA specifications