During a public event in Dahod on May 26, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance, announced the launch of what he described as India’s “first 9000-horsepower locomotive engine manufactured in Gujarat,” claiming it as a major technological leap.

Central to his address was the introduction of regenerative braking — a feature he presented as a novel advancement for Indian Railways.

According to The Wire, highlighting the engine’s ability to convert braking energy back into electrical power, Vaishnaw told the audience: “When the train moves, it draws its electricity from the wires running above it. But when the brakes are used, this engine becomes a generator and sends back electricity to the wires above it. This is the magic of new technology.”

He also added that the engine is “a moving computer,” free of noise and vibration, equipped with air-conditioning and even a toilet for the driver — features he credited to Modi’s "visionary leadership."

However, a closer look at Indian Railways' history with regenerative braking reveals that the technology is far from new.

Regenerative Braking in India Since the 1990s

Contrary to the minister’s claims, regenerative braking systems have been a part of Indian electric locomotives for over two decades. These systems were introduced following a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement with Switzerland in the late 1990s.

According to a 2011 report, Indian Railways began producing three-phase electric locomotives with regenerative braking capabilities at the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) around 2009, the news website reported.

The report further noted that by 2011, the North Central Railway alone had shifted around 150 of its 250 electric locomotives to the regenerative system, saving nearly 15 million units of electricity worth about Rs 6 crore in that financial year.

Furthermore, train drivers had already been trained to use this braking system well over a decade ago.

Parliament Confirmation and Past Trials

The use of regenerative braking was also confirmed by Vaishnaw’s own ministry in a 2023 parliamentary reply.

As reported by The Wire, responding to questions from MPs Dhairyansheel Sambhajirao Mane and Shrirang Appa Barne, the Ministry of Railways stated that “all electric locomotives manufactured by Railways, in its locomotive production units, are having regenerative braking features”, adding that all zonal railways — including North Eastern and Western Railways — were using them.

In fact, Mumbai’s local trains have employed regenerative brakes for years, and even older WAG-7 class locomotives were retrofitted with the system as early as 2019, during Modi’s first term.

Basic Amenities Still Catching Up

Another claim made by the minister — regarding the presence of air-conditioning and a toilet in the pilot’s cabin — has also drawn attention. While these may indeed be new additions to the Dahod-built D-9 model, they come against the backdrop of years of complaints by loco pilots regarding the lack of basic amenities.

In 2023, The New Indian Express reported that only around 200 locomotives had been equipped with toilets, despite a 2016 National Human Rights Commission directive. Over 700 engines, especially in Southern Railway, still lacked such facilities, prompting protests.

Vaishnaw, a former IAS officer and trained engineer, used the platform not just to highlight the locomotive’s features, but also to position it as a symbol of Modi’s vision for India’s technological self-reliance.

“This is our pathfinder prime minister’s great vision for the country,” he declared, naming the engine “D-9” — Dahod-9000 — and adding that the new Dahod facility would allow India to export these locomotives globally.

He claimed that the decision to set up the Dahod locomotive factory was taken in 2022, with work commencing in 2023.

“In 2022, PM Modi decided that modern electric engines would be manufactured in Dahod and the work began in 2023. And today, a modern factory is ready,” he said.

The project has since been presented as a success story of Gujarat’s efficiency and cost-effective manufacturing.

While the Dahod facility and the D-9 engine mark milestones in expanding domestic production capacity, many of the features touted by the railway minister — particularly regenerative braking — have long been part of Indian Railways’ repertoire. The presentation of older technology as a first-time innovation has sparked questions about political messaging and the selective framing of historical facts.