General Manager of Railways, W.A.D.S. Gunasinghe said that the Government of India will provide 23 locomotives to improve the railway service in the country.
This follows a request by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena to the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay regarding the limited resources of the Railway Department. The Government of India has expressed its willingness to provide these locomotives.
The General Manager said that the 23 locomotives will be given as a grant.
He said that these locomotives, which are currently being used in India, will be restored and given to Sri Lanka.
The General Manager said that at present the price of a locomotive is over Rs. 1 billion and the value of the locomotives provided from India is over Rs. 23 billion.
The M8, M10, and M11 class locomotives and S11, S13 and S13A powerset trains and 160 modern compartments which are being used in the Sri Lankan railway service have been imported from India. Over 50 percent of the total railway service in Sri Lanka is provided by Indian compartments and engines.
