The Indian locomotive class WAP-7 is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was developed in 1999 by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) for Indian Railways. Its class designation denotes a broad gauge (W) alternating current (A) passenger (P) locomotive of the 7th generation (7). They entered service in 2000. WAP-7 locomotives are being built at CLW, Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) and Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW).
The WAP-7 has been serving passengers for Indian Railways since their introduction in 1999. It is a passenger variant of the WAG-9 freight locomotive with a modified gear ratio to pull lighter loads at higher speeds. With an output of 6,125 hp, it is the most powerful passenger locomotive in the Indian Railways fleet, and the most numerous passenger locomotive in India. The WAP-7 is capable of hauling 24 coach trains at speeds of 130 km/h.
History The WAP-7 is largely used by most regional zones of Indian Railways. As of October 2021, all of these are fitted with H-type transition couplers which are compatible with both screw coupling and centre-buffer coupling. In February 2017, Banaras Locomotive Works built their first WAP 7 class locomotive.
In 2019, a variant of the WAP-7, designated the WAP-7HS, was introduced for higher speeds. The WAP-7HS has a max speed of , and is capable of hauling a 24-car train at as opposed to the of the original. Indian Railways plans to use the WAP-7HS for Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Duronto express trains. However, as of September 2022, it has not been confirmed if any others have been built, and the single completed WAP-7HS has remained restricted to operation.
In 2025, a variant of the WAP-7, designated the WAP-7AD, was introduced with an aerodynamic design. The WAP-7AD has a maximum speed of , and is capable of hauling a 24-car train at , as opposed to the of the original. Indian Railways plans to use the WAP-7AD for Amrit Bharat Express and other Express trains. The first WAP-7AD 37873 entered service in September 2025 hauling 12284 Ernakulam Duronto express. A pair of WAP-7AD, painted with Amrit Bharat livery are currently parked at ICF, Chennai waiting for rake and route allotment.
Head-on Generation (HOG)
Many locomotives of this class are fitted with head-on generation (HOG), eliminating the need for separate End-on Generation (EOG) sets or DG (Diesel Generator) sets to supply power to the train, thereby resulting in significant savings in maintenance and operating costs. HOG transfers electric power from the locomotive's pantograph to the coaches, unlike EOG, in which a power car equipped with a diesel generator capable of generating sufficient three-phase 50 Hz 415 V / 750 V AC (called 'head-end power') is provided at either end of the train rake to supply power.
Locomotive sheds ZoneNameShed CodeQuantityIntroduction YearWAP-7WAP-7ABCentral Railway Ajni AQE 73 2010 Kalyan KYNE 85 4 2019Pune PADX 68 2 2023Eastern Railway Howrah HWHE 110 2012 Sealdah SDAD 49 2020 East Central Railway Gomoh GMOE 49 2000 Barauni BJUE 6 2021 Samastipur SPJD 57 14 2022East Coast RailwayAngul ANGE 3 2026 Northern Railway Ghaziabad GZBE 165 2000 Ludhiana LDHE 44 2022North Central Railway Kanpur CNBE 108 4 2019North Eastern Railway Gonda GDDE 20 2021Gorakhpur GKPL 23 4 2024Izzatnagar IZNE 11 2024Northeast Frontier Railway Siliguri SGUD 55 2024New Guwahati NGCD 65 8 2026North Western Railway Bhagat Ki Kothi BGKD 85 4 2023Southern Railway Erode EDE 111 2 2017 RoyapuramRPME1262011 Arakkonam AJJE 4 2026 South Central Railway Lallaguda LGDE 160 2008 South Coast RailwayVisakhapatnam WATE 90 2016 Vijayawada BZAE 83 2021South Eastern Railway Tatanagar TATE 54 2017 Bondamunda BNDL 19 2018Santragachi SRCE 54 2017 South East Central Railway Bhilai BIAE 26 2012 South Western Railway Krishnarajapuram KJMD 91 2 2019 Hubballi UBLD 32 2024 Western Railway Vadodara BRCE 125 2016 Valsad BLEE 92 2024 Sabarmati SBTD 9 2026West Central Railway Tughlakabad TKDE 78 2013 Itarsi ETE 106 2018Total 2332 44 Total Locomotives Active as of October 2026 2376
See also Indian Railways Locomotives of India Rail transport in India
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