The Government wants to run Chinese built ‘rolling stock’ — engines cum carriages — on the northern railway line now under construction with Indian assistance and due for completion next year. Transport Minister Kumara Welgama has told his ministerial colleagues that the Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) wants to initially operate train services from Colombo to Kankesanthurai [...]

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Chinese lightning expresses on Indian tracks in Lanka

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The Government wants to run Chinese built ‘rolling stock’ — engines cum carriages — on the northern railway line now under construction with Indian assistance and due for completion next year. Transport Minister Kumara Welgama has told his ministerial colleagues that the Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) wants to initially operate train services from Colombo to Kankesanthurai with two “fast express trains” and two night trains. It also wants to introduce a daily express train service to Talaimannar pier. If any of the present rolling stock is withdrawn from service, Minister Welgama has said, the existing services would be badly interrupted.

Hence he has sought the approval of his ministerial colleagues to examine the possibility of obtaining six Diesel Multiple Units manufactured and supplied by CSR Qindao Sifang Co. Ltd. under the Exim Bank of China concessionary loan. The amount involved is a staggering US$ 75,159,200 (or more than Rs. 9.92 billion) cost and freight.

Reconstruction of the northern railway line from Omanthai to Kankesanthurai is now under way with Indian assistance. According to Minister Welgama, this line is expected to be completed by April next year. The Talaimannar line is due for completion also in December next year.

Mr. Welgama has told his ministerial colleagues, “it is practically not possible to select a manufacturer who could supply rolling stock designed to SLR’s specifications within less than nine months. It would take a minimum of 18 months to supply the required rolling stock”.

He has praised the quality of the Chinese engines saying, “the performance of these sets are highly satisfactory and popular among the intercity train travellers. These DMUs have the following technical advantages over the loco haul sets formed with passenger coaches – i.e. greater passenger capacity, faster turnaround at terminals and greater average speeds….”

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