List of electric locomotives of India
This is a list of all electric locomotives that have been or are being operated by Indian Railways.
Classification
Locomotives were classified by track gauge, motive power, function and power (or model number) in a four- or five-letter code. The first letter denotes the track gauge. The second letter denotes motive power (diesel or electric), and the third letter denotes use (goods, passenger, mixed or shunting). The fourth letter denotes a locomotive's chronological model number.
In 2002, a new classification system was adopted. For newer diesel locomotives, the fourth letter denotes their horsepower range. Not all diesel locomotives were reclassified, and the fourth letter continues to denotes their model number.
A locomotive may have a fifth letter, generally denoting a technical variant, subclass or subtype: a variation in the basic model or series, or a different motor or manufacturer. Under the new system, the fifth letter further refines horsepower in 100-hp increments: A for 100 hp, B for 200 hp, C for 300 hp and so on. A WDP-3A is a 3,100 hp (2,300 kW) locomotive, and a WDM-3F is 3,600 hp (2,700 kW).
The system does not apply to steam locomotives, which are no longer used on main lines. They retain their original class names, such as M- or WP-class.
Nomenclature
- First letter (gauge):
- W – Broad gauge (wide) – 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
- Y – Metre gauge (yard) – 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
- Z – 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge
- N – 2 ft (610 mm) narrow (toy) gauge
- Second letter (motive power):
- D – Diesel
- C – DC electric (DC overhead line)
- A – AC electric (AC overhead line)
- CA – DC and AC (AC or DC overhead line); CA is considered one letter
- B – Battery (rare)
- Third letter (usage):
In WCM-4, W denotes broad gauge; C denotes DC Electric power; M denotes mixed use (goods and passenger service), and 4 denotes fourth Generation. In WAP 5, W is broad gauge; A is AC electric; P is passenger service, and 5 indicates that the locomotive is the fifth model used.
Broad-gauge locomotives
Broad-gauge electric classification codes are:
- WAM - Wide AC electric mixed
- WAP - Wide AC electric passenger
- WAG - Wide AC electric goods
- WCM - Wide DC electric mixed
- WCP - Wide DC electric passenger
- WCG - Wide DC electric goods
- WCAM - Wide AC/DC electric mixed
- WCAG - Wide AC/DC electric goods
- WCAS - Wide AC/DC electric shunter
AC mixed class (WAM Series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel | Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserved units | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WAM-1 | Kraus-Maffei | Bo-Bo | 36 | 1960-64 | 2,910 hp | Retired | None | ![]() | |
WAM-2 | Mitsubishi | Bo-Bo | 36 | 1960-64 | 2,910 hp | Retired | None | ||
WAM-3 | Mitsubishi | Bo-Bo | 2 | 1964 | 2,400 hp | Retired | None | ||
WAM-4 | CLW | Co-Co | 500 | 1970-1983 | 3,850 hp | In service | 6 Earmarked | ||
AC passenger class (WAP series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel
Arr |
Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserved units | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WAP-1 | CLW | Co-Co | 65 | 1980-1996 | 3,900 hp | In service | 1 Earmarked | ![]() | |
WAP-2 | Mitsubishi | Bo-Bo | 4 rebuilt from WAM-2 | 1960–1964 | 2,910 hp | Retired | None | ||
WAP-3 | CLW | Co-Co | 9, all rebuilt from WAP-1 | 1987-1988 | 3,900 hp | Retired/ In service as WAP-1 | None | ||
WAP-4 | CLW | Co-Co | 778 | 1993-2015 | 5,350 hp | In service |
| ||
WAP-5 | ABB/CLW | Bo-Bo | 235 | 1995–Present | 6,000 hp | In service | ![]() | ||
WAP-6 | CLW | Co-Co | 17 | 1995-1998 | 5,350 hp | Retired/In service as WAP-4 | ![]() | ||
WAP-7 | CLW/BLW/PLW | Co-Co | 1423 | 2000– present | 6,350 hp | In service | WAP-7 ED #39231 standing at Whitefield | ![]() | |
AC goods class (WAG series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel
Arrangement |
Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserve | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WAG-1 | B-B | 112 | 1963-1966 | 2,930 hp | Retired | 1 unit | ![]() | ||
WAG-2 | Hitachi /Toshiba /Mitsubishi | B-B | 45 | 1964-1965 | 3,450 hp | Retired | None | ![]() | |
WAG-3 | Henschel/CLW | B-B | 10 | 1965 | 3,300 hp | Retired | None | ||
WAG-4 | CLW | B-B | 186 | 1967-1969 | 3,590 hp | Retired | None |
| |
WAG-5 | CLW/BHEL | Co-Co | 1196 | 1978-1998 | 4,360 hp | In service | 1 unit |
| |
WAG-6A | ASEA | Bo-Bo-Bo | 6 | 1988-1989 | 6,110 hp | In service | 1 unit | ![]() | |
WAG-6B | Hitachi | Bo-Bo-Bo | 6 | 1988 | 6,110 hp | In service | 1 unit | ![]() | |
WAG-6C | Hitachi | Co-Co | 6 | 1988 | 6,110 hp | In service | 1 unit | ![]() | |
WAG-7 | CLW/BHEL | Co-Co | 1970 | 1990-2015 | 5,350 hp | In service | None | ![]() | |
WAG-8 | BHEL | Co-Co | 1 | 1990 | 5,000 hp | Retired/Never went into service | None | ||
WAG-9 | ABB/CLW/BHEL/BLW/PLW | Co-Co | 3134 | 1996–present | 6,125 hp | In service |
| ||
WAG-10 | BLW | Co-Co-Co-Co | 2 | 2018–present | 10,000 hp | In service | ![]() | ||
WAG-11 | BLW | Co-Co-Co-Co/Co-Co | 4 | 2018–present | 11,000 hp | Undergoing trials | ![]() | ||
WAG-12 | Alstom | Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo | 224 | 2017–present | 12,000 hp | In service | ![]() | ||
DC mixed class (WCM series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel
Arr |
Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserved units | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WCM-1 | English Electric/Vulcan Foundry | Co-Co | 7 | 1954-1955 | 3,700 hp | Retired | 1 | ![]() | |
WCM-2 | English Electric/Vulcan Foundry | Co-Co | 12 | 1956-1957 | 3,120 hp | Retired | None | ![]() | |
WCM-3 | Hitachi | Co-Co | 3 | 1958 | 3,600 hp | Retired | None | ![]() | |
WCM-4 | Hitachi | Co-Co | 7 | 1960 | 4,000 hp | Retired | None | ![]() | |
WCM-5 | CLW | Co-Co | 21 | 1961-1963 | 3,700 hp | Retired | 1 unit | ![]() | |
WCM-6 | CLW | Co-Co | 2 | 1995 | 5,000 hp | In service | ![]() | ||
DC passenger class (WCP series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel
Arr |
Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserved units | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WCP-1 | SLM / | 2-Bo-A1 | 22 | 1928-30 | 2,160 hp | Retired | 1 unit | ![]() | |
WCP-2 | SLM / | 2-Bo-A1 | 1 | 1938 | 2,160 hp | Retired | 1 unit | ![]() | |
WCP-3 | Hawthorn Leslie, Marconi Company | 2-Co-2 | 1 | 1928 | 2,250 hp | Retired | None | ![]() | |
WCP-4 | Hawthorn Leslie, BBC | 2-Co-2 | 1 | 1928 | 2,390 hp | Retired | None | ![]() |
DC goods class (WCG series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel
Arr |
Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserved units | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WCG-1 | SLM / | C+C | 41 | 1928-1929 | 2,600-2,890 hp | Retired | 2 units | ![]() | |
WCG-2 | SLM / | Co-Co | 57 | 1970-1976 | 4,200 hp | Retired | 2 units | ![]() |
Dual current (DC and AC) mixed class (WCAM Series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel | Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserved units | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WCAM-1 | CLW | Co-Co | 54 | 1975-1979 |
|
Retired | None | First mainline electric locomotive | ![]() |
WCAM-2 | BHEL | Co-Co | 20 | 1995-1996 |
|
In service | ![]() | ||
WCAM-3 | BHEL | Co-Co | 53 | 1997-1998 |
|
In service | ![]() |
Metre-gauge locomotives
Metre-gauge electric classification codes are:
- YAM – Metre gauge AC electric mixed
- YCG – Metre gauge DC electric goods
AC mixed class (YAM Series)
Name | Manufacturer | Wheel | Quantity
Built |
Built year(s) | Power | Current Status | Preserved units | Comments | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YAM-1 | Mitsubishi | B-B | 20 | 1964-66 | 1,740 hp | Retired | Twenty 1,740 hp (1,300 kW) locomotives, imported from Japan, were in service until 2004 in the Chennai area. | ![]() |
References

Notes
Bibliography
- Databook of Electric Locomotives published by RDSO, archive link
- Hughes, Hugh (1996). Indian Locomotives: Part 4 – 1941–1990. Harrow, Middlesex: The Continental Railway Circle. ISBN 0-9521655-1-1. OCLC 35135033.
- Databook of Electric locomotives May 2016