This class of engine was acquired to replace the line's original Beyer, Peacock & Company 2-4-0RT rack locomotives, which were not powerful enough to handle the traffic.

The railway intends to convert more locomotives to a oil-fired system, since they are less likely to spark forest fires and are easier to refuel.

[6][7] Since Aprill 2022, all oil-fired steam engines run on High-Speed Diesel (HSD), as it is less viscous and contains less sulfur, compared to furnace oil.

[citation needed] Under the order of the Central Government, the Golden Rock Workshop started the manufacturing of two X-Class steam engines, one coal-powered and one oil-powered, in 2020.

[citation needed] Ashima, a character based on the X Class and voiced by Tina Desai, appears in the 2016 animated film Thomas & Friends: The Great Race.

The video features Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora dancing on the train, from the 1998 Mani Ratnam movie Dil Se.

For the song, Ratnam spoke to NMR in regards to painting the engines greenish-black and the train rakes a brick color for five days, while the music video was shot.