The technology of the locomotive was transferred to the Indian Railways by ADtranz of Switzerland in 1996. India is the first developing country to manufacture the sophisticated locomotive indigenously. The cost of the imported loco, including all duties, presently works out to Rs 32 crore. With indigenisation of major items of ADtranz technology in the first phase, the cost of the CLW built locomotive will come to 40 per cent of the imported loco.

The new locomotive is energy efficient and equipped with the latest power and control electric equipment for traction, microprocessor controls and maintenance-free light weight three-phase traction motors. It provides unique advantage of regenerating the electrical energy which is pumped back to power grid during braking. It can accelerate motion of heavier trains to provide bettersafety.

The engine is ia driver-friendly, has higher speed potential, is more reliable and requires much lesser cost for maintenance as compared to the existing locomotive. The railway minister Nitish Kumar is dedicating the locomotive to the nation on Saturday. The prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has congratulated the staff, supervisors and officers of the CLW for their dedication and commitment. that enabled them to manufacture the locomotive in record time. Describing the CLW feat as a "giant technological leap", the prime minister hoped that Indian Railways would now give a boost to the national economy, besides saving foreign exchange due to lesser import of diesel.

Established in 1950, CLW has been successfully indigenising imported technology since its inception. It received steam locomotive technology from North British Scotland in the fifties, electric locomotive technology from Cycles European group in the sixties, DC traction motor technology from Alsthom of France in late sixties,Hitachi of Japan in the seventies and steel foundry technology from Rockwell of the US in the nineties. One of the largest locomotive manufacturing units in the world, CLW has the distinction of manufacturing 2351 steam, 842 diesel and more than 2500 electric locomotives.