Chittaranjan Locomotive Works

Chittaranjan Locomotive Works
FormerlyLoco Building Works
Company typeElectric locomotive production unit
IndustryRail transport
Founded26 January 1950 (1950-01-26)[1]
HeadquartersChittaranjan, Asansol, West Bengal,
Key people
Shri Anil Kumar Gupta (General Manager)[2]
Products
Production output
700 (2024)
Revenue7.326 crore (US$870,000) (2024)
Total assets18.654 crore (US$2.2 million) (2024)
OwnerIndian Railways
Number of employees
8138 (2024)
Websiteclw.indianrailways.gov.in
Footnotes / references
[3]

Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) is an Indian state-owned electric locomotive manufacturer. The works are located at Chittaranjan in the Asansol Sadar subdivision of West Bengal, with an ancillary unit in Dankuni. The main unit is 32 km from Asansol's City Bus Terminus and 237 km from Kolkata. CLW has stores and offices in Kolkata, as well as inspection cells in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore. It is the largest locomotive manufacturer unit in the world.[4] In FY 2024–25, it produced 700 locomotives surpassing the United States and Europe.[5]

History

Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) has been named after the great freedom fighter, leader and statesmen Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das. A new survey led to the present site at Chittaranjan being established, which was approved by the railway board in 1947.[6] A survey of the proposed area began on 9 January 1948; the rocky soil was an advantage in erecting structural foundations, and the undulating terrain solved the problem of drainage for the township. The Damodar Valley Corporation envisioned hydro-electric and thermal power stations in the area, assuring adequate power availability for the project.[7]

The project was launched as Loco Building Works in 1950 to produce 120 average-sized steam locomotives. It also had the capacity to manufacture 50 spare boilers. Production of steam locomotives commenced on 26 January 1950. The first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, dedicated the first steam locomotive to the nation on 1 November 1950, and on the same day, the Loco Building Works was renamed as Chittaranjan Locomotive Works after Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das. The nearby Mihijam Station was also renamed as Chittaranjan.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Heritage of CLW". clw.indianrailways.gov.in. IR. 25 April 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  2. ^ "General Manager". clw.indianrailways.gov.in. IR. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  3. ^ "Annual Report, 2024-25" (PDF). clw.indianrailways.gov.in. 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Chittaranjan Locomotive Works is now world's biggest locomotive producer". The Statesman. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  5. ^ "New Milestone in Locomotive Production: India Surpasses the US and Europe by Producing 1,681 Locomotives for the Financial Year 2024-25". New Delhi. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  6. ^ "About Chittaranjan Locomotive Works". Chittaranjan Locomotive Works.
  7. ^ "Estimates Committee Report" (PDF). eparlib.nic.in. 1955. Retrieved 17 December 2020.

23°51′32″N 86°54′40″E / 23.85891°N 86.91111°E / 23.85891; 86.91111