Banaras Locomotive Works


The Banaras Locomotive Works, formerly Diesel Locomotive Works, is an Indian state-owned production unit of Indian Railways situated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. DLW was renamed BLW in 2020.''''''

History

Founded in 1956 as the DLW, it manufactured locomotives which are variants based on the original ALCO-built WDM-2. Since 2002, it started the manufacture of EMD 710 based high horsepower locomotives - The WDG-4, WDP-4, and its variants. In July 2006, it outsourced manufacture of some locomotives to Parel Workshop, Central Railway, Mumbai. DLW was renamed BLW in October 2020.. In 2012, it built a locomotive powered by the 20-cylinder 710 engine. This locomotive would be the 5500 HP WDG-5
In March 2019, it developed the country's first bi-mode locomotive, the Indian [locomotive class WDAP-5|WDAP-5]. BLW today produces primarily the electric locomotives WAP-7 & WAG-9.

Market

Besides the Indian Railways, BLW regularly exports locomotives to other countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, and Vietnam and also to a few users within India, such as ports, large power and steel plants and private railways.