Indian Railways is preparing to provide significant relief to locomotive drivers by introducing a new convenient feature into the engines. Currently, the most powerful electric locomotives, rated at 12,000 horsepower, lack toilets or lavatories, which creates difficulties for drivers transporting goods over long distances. This need becomes even more pressing against the backdrop of increasing participation of female drivers in railway operations.
Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL) has reported that negotiations with the railway on this matter are at an advanced stage. The company is also testing a prototype of a waterproof toilet with retrofit installation capability, which operates for approximately four months and shows good results.
According to Vivek Garg, Managing Director of MELPL, the waterproof toilet will be integrated into new 12,000 hp locomotives manufactured at the Madhepura factory. Furthermore, it is planned to add this feature to already operating locomotives through modernization. He noted that negotiations with the railway are at an advanced stage, and the railway wishes for this feature to be included in all new locomotives produced by the company. This transition is considered important given the presence of female drivers.
However, safety remains the top priority when using waterproof toilets. Vivek Garg emphasized that it is unacceptable for a driver to use the toilet while operating the locomotive during movement. It is proposed to use it only when the locomotive or train is stopped.
Installing the toilet in the locomotive requires changes to the structure and the water supply system. According to the company, when specifications for 12,000 hp locomotives were defined around 2014–2015, such waterproof toilet systems were not sufficiently developed for integration into locomotives. However, thanks to new technologies and developments, their inclusion has now become possible.
MELPL is a joint venture between Indian Railways and the French company Alstom, with Alstom holding 74 percent. The company manufactures 12,000 hp electric locomotives in Madhepura, Bihar, which are primarily used for heavy freight transport. On August 15, the company delivered its 650th locomotive to the railway. The first 12,000 hp locomotive manufactured in Madhepura began operating at Pandit Dina Dayal Upadhyaya station on May 18, 2020. The design speed of this locomotive is 120 kilometers per hour, and it is capable of carrying up to 6,000 tons of cargo.
MELPL received a contract in 2015 to manufacture and supply 800 locomotives to the railway by March 2028. The initial cost of this project was approximately 28,000 crore rupees, which was later increased to over 33,000 crore rupees. Thanks to this project, India became the sixth country in the world to manufacture 12,000 hp electric locomotives. Indian Railways is also working on the phased provision of the waterproof toilet service in electric locomotives based on needs. According to the railway, by February 2026, the toilet service will have been provided in over 2,800 locomotives.