25 train carriages from China here

Colombo: Twenty five of the 100 rail compartments ordered from China have already arrived at the Colombo Port and the remaining 75 carriages will also arrive at the Colombo Port within the next three months, a railway spokesman said yesterday.


RAILWAY BOOM: The first shipment of rail compartments ordered by the Railway Department from China arrived at the Colombo Port. Here one of the carriages being unloaded.
Picture by Palitha Gunasena

Transport Minister Dallus Alahapperuma, who was at the Port to receive the carriages, said this was the biggest ever investment in the railways in recent times. He expressed his gratitude to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his commitment to develop the railways.

The Sri Lanka Railway which caters to over 300,000 passengers daily faced a severe shortage of passenger carriages due to non import of rail carriages for the past 15 years. With the deployment of these new carriages the Sri Lanka Railway will provide a better service to the rail commuters, he said.

The Department has also ordered five powersets from China for short distant operations. These powersets will be operated between Colombo-Kurunegala, Ambepussa, Polgahawela, Mirigama, Panadura, Galle, Chilaw and Avissawella.