India’s First Aluminium Freight Rake introduced by Ashwini Vaishnaw at Bhubaneswar

Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s First aluminium Freight Rake(61 BOBRNALHSM1)  at Bhubaneshwar Railway Station in Odisha on October 16, 2022. The rake’s destination is Bilaspur. It is also the first-time aluminium rake that has been manufactured in India with the property of fully lock-bolted construction with no welding on the superstructure. 

The iron and steel industry uses a lot of imported nickel and cadmium. The proliferation of aluminium wagons will gradually result in less import and at the same time, it is also good for the domestic aluminium industry. 

India’s first aluminium freight rake #AatmanirbharBharat- single rake in its lifetime saves over 14,500 tonnes of CO2,
♻️ 85% recyclable,
💪180 ton extra carrying capacity,
Lighter weight, lower maintenance & longer life. pic.twitter.com/N1mJ0v4ZwY

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) October 16, 2022

India’s First aluminium Freight Rake: Significance

1. The indigenously built rake will decrease carbon footprint due to lower consumption of fuel. 
2. A single rake can decrease 14,500 tonnes of Carbon dioxide emissions during its lifetime.
3. The Rake is manufactured in collaboration with Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO), Besco Limited Wagon Division, and aluminium major Hindalco. 
4. The aluminium freight rake is 180 tonnes lighter than existing steel rakes, resulting in increased speed and less power consumption for the same distance.
5. The rake can carry 180 tonnes of extra payload per trip over conventional rakes and will decrease the maintenance cost as it is corrosion-resistant.
6. The new aluminium freight rake has an 80 per cent resale value and a 10-year longer lifespan as compared to normal ones.

How is aluminium beneficial over other metals?

1. aluminium is the second most used metal worldwide. It offers durability and is also lightweight and infinitely recyclable.
2. The metal has clear environmental benefits compared to other similar metals, including steel or plastic.
3. Automotive aluminium produces the lowest total carbon footprint. It also provides the potential to decrease a vehicle’s life cycle global warming potential and primary energy demand.
4. Its features enable the savings of total energy of about 11 million barrels of oil over the lifetime of a 600,000-unit vehicle production fleet.

Background

The step of making India’s first aluminium freight rake is a dedicated effort for the Make in India programme as it had been completely designed and developed in collaboration with RDSO, HINDALCO, and Besco Wagon.

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