Alstom, a France-based multinational manufacturer of rolling stock operating globally in rail transport markets, plans to begin manufacturing large batteries for railway traction components in India within the next year.

These batteries are versatile and capable of powering various railway systems such as Vande Bharat trains and metro rail.

“We are currently introducing batteries for traction. Extensive efforts are underway to adapt these robust, large batteries, currently used in passenger vehicles and trucks, for railway applications,” Poupart-Lafarge stated in an interview. “We also intend to introduce these technologies in India,” he added.

Initially, the batteries will be imported from France, but Alstom aims to transition to manufacturing indigenous cells in India gradually. The CEO mentioned that the company’s Maneja facility in Gujarat, currently focused on producing rail components, will be reconfigured to locally manufacture these large batteries.