Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 27 September 2026 inaugurated a series of railway projects worth approximately ₹1,472 crore at Sabarmati railway station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, including the country's first LNG-powered train and a ₹700 crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed. The initiatives span passenger convenience, freight modernisation, railway safety, and environmental sustainability.

From Rickshaw Walks to Metro Connectivity

Addressing a gathering at the station, Shah drew a vivid contrast between Sabarmati's past and its present. 'Today, no one can believe that this is the same station where, in the 1980s, one had to walk two kilometres to get a rickshaw,' he said, pointing to the station's current multimodal links with the Metro, state transport services, and other rail networks. Shah noted that the transformation reflects a broader national shift in rail infrastructure since 2014, referencing dedicated freight corridors, rapid rail systems, and modernised station facilities.

WAG-12 Locomotive Shed: A Freight Capacity Leap

The centrepiece infrastructure addition is the ₹700 crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed, built at Sabarmati to home and service high-capacity electric freight locomotives. Shah underscored the shed's economic significance: 'A single locomotive could carry freight equivalent to around 600 trucks, compared with the need for two locomotives earlier.' WAG-12 locomotives carry a rated capacity of approximately 12,000 HP and are engineered for hauling heavy, long-distance freight trains. The Sabarmati facility is planned to maintain up to 300 such locomotives, making it one of the largest dedicated freight-loco maintenance hubs in the country.

India's First LNG-Powered Train Takes the Track

Shah also flagged the launch of India's first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati as an environmentally significant milestone. The train operates on a diesel-plus-LNG dual-fuel system, with two 1,400 HP Driving Power Cars (DPCs) converted for LNG use. More than 2,000 km of field trials have already been completed on the two converted DPCs. LNG can substitute a portion of diesel consumption while the engine retains the ability to run solely on diesel when required — a design that offers both emissions reduction and operational resilience.

Kavach, Sarkhej Doubling, and Long-Haul Containers

Beyond the headline projects, Shah specifically mentioned the deployment of the Kavach train protection system and the doubling of the Sabarmati–Sarkhej railway line. On the doubling project, he said it 'would also help open the way for better direct connectivity from western Ahmedabad towards Mumbai and other destinations.' He also highlighted the trial of a long-haul double-stack container train between Mumbai and Vadodara, noting that such trains can significantly boost freight-carrying capacity on existing rail corridors without requiring new infrastructure. In total, railway initiatives worth more than ₹1,542 crore were launched across Ahmedabad during Shah's Gujarat visit. The projects, taken together, position Sabarmati as a key node in India's evolving freight and passenger rail network — and as a testing ground for next-generation locomotive technologies.