Vadodara: Battery-powered trains manufactured in Gujarat are set to operate on New Zealand’s railway network within the next three years, replacing existing diesel locomotives, a news report said.

According to BusinessLine, French transport major Alstom will produce the trains at its Savli facility in Gujarat, marking New Zealand’s first battery-electric trains. The order includes 16 trains, each with five cars, totaling around 90 cars.

The report stated that the company will utilize three Indian plants for production: traction systems will be manufactured in Coimbatore, batteries in Maneja, and final assembly will occur at Savli.

Named ‘Tuhono’, meaning “to connect” or “to unite,” the trains will be the greenest in New Zealand, introducing Alstom’s zero direct-emission rail technology to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. DeshGujarat