Sri Lanka railway news
News about railway and urban rail infrastructure, operations, policy, projects and the supply industry in Sri Lanka.
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NewsKelani Valley rail renovation gets underway
SRI LANKA: A programme to renovate the 59 km Kelani Valley railway between Maradana and Avissawella was launched on September 7 with a ceremony at Homagama station attended by Minister of Transport, Highways & Mass Media Dr Bandula Gunawardena. Expected to take two years to complete, ...
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NewsSri Lanka Railways rolls out Hytera radio network
SRI LANKA: Hytera Communications Corp is deploying an island-wide radio communications system covering 1 561 km of the Sri Lanka Railways network under a US$7∙39m contract The Chinese company has supplied 20 dispatching controllers, three system management devices, three voice recording devices, 1 239 SD1000 IP ...
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Metro Report InternationalColombo light rail MoU signed
SRI LANKA: KCI Metro Link Korea Co and the GBK Consortium of more than 15 South Korean companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake a feasibility study for a light rail line running north from Colombo to Bandaranaike International Airport and Negombo, along with ...
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NewsSri Lanka plans local production of rolling stock
SRI LANKA: The cabinet has approved the Ministry of Transport’s proposal to seek an investor to solve its shortage of coaches by manufacturing them locally. Involving the private sector in the production of an initial 100 coaches is seen as a solution to meeting a short-term ...
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Rail Business UKLincoln’s IMPS secures Sri Lanka Railway order with UKEF working capital scheme
UK: Lincoln-based diesel engine servicing and component specialist IMPS was assisted by UK Export Finance when it secured a £750 000 order to supply parts for the refurbishment of Rolls Royce engines used by Sri Lanka Railways. IMPS is an experienced exporter, selling 75% of its products ...
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Metro Report InternationalColombo light rail project goes ahead
SRI LANKA: The Japanese-backed light rail project in Colombo is still going ahead and has not been suspended as has been reported locally, the Japanese embassy has confirmed to Metro Report International. The embassy’s rebuttal followed local reports that the project had been halted, with Sri Lankan ...
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NewsCRRC trainset enters service in Sri Lanka
SRI LANKA: The first of nine S14 diesel trainsets being supplied by CRRC Qingdao Sifang has entered revenue service on the Colombo Fort – Badulla line, which has a journey time of 8 h 43 min. Sri Lankan Railways ordered the 120 ...
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NewsADB finances Sri Lanka railway modernisation programme
SRI LANKA: The Asian Development Bank has approved its first loan to Sri Lanka’s railway sector, providing US$160m towards the US$192m Railway Efficiency Improvement Project. The government is to provide the remaining $32m for the project, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2024. Noting that Sri ...
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NewsIRCON to undertake Sri Lanka railway upgrade
SRI LANKA: A US$91·3m contract for the modernisation of the 130 km Maho – Omanthai line was signed by the government and Indian Railways subsidiary IRCON International on July 18. The 36-month project will raise the line speed from 60 km/h to 120 km/h and eliminate 40 km/h speed ...
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NewsSri Lanka opens first phase of China-financed Southern Railway line
SRI LANKA: The 26·8 km Matara – Beliatta first phase of the Southern Railway project was officially opened by Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation Arjuna Ranatunga on April 8. The US$278m cost of Phase 1 was financed through a 20-year loan agreed by Export-Import Bank of China and the ...
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NewsColombo light rail loan agreement signed
SRI LANKA: The government signed a loan agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency on March 11 for a planned light rail project in Colombo. The 40-year ¥30·04bn loan has a 12-year grace period, and specifies the use of Japanese technology, including rolling stock and electromechanical equipment. The 15·7 ...
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NewsRevised Colombo light rail plan approved
SRI LANKA: The government has approved a revised plan for a light rail line to be built in Colombo, and plans to sign a loan agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency. The 17 km line with 16 stops would link Colombo Fort Multimodal Transport Hub with Malabe. Work is ...
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NewsICF unveils Sri Lanka Railways diesel-electric multiple units
SRI LANKA: The first of six 13-car diesel-electric multiple-units which Indian Railways’ Integral Coach factory is building for Sri Lanka Railways was unveiled at the manufacturer’s plant in Chennai on November 12 . The order was placed with ICF and RITES under an India-Sri Lanka economic co-operation agreement. It covers ...
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NewsJapanese loan to fund Colombo light rail project
SRI LANKA: The Japanese government is to provide a soft loan for the construction of a light rail network in Colombo. The announcement by Western Region Megapolis Project Chairman Ajita de Costa followed the visit of a Japanese delegation led by Vice Minister for Economy, Trade & Industry Hirofumi Katase ...
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NewsPresident reopens railway to Jaffna
SRI LANKA: The final section of line reconnecting the Jaffna peninsula in the north with the rest of the rail network was formally opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on October 13. The 38 km Pallai – Jaffna link restores what was one of Sri Lanka Railways' most important routes before ...
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NewsLandfill trains to boost SLR freight
SRI LANKA: The Ministry of Urban Development has unveiled a US$107m project to use rail to transport municipal waste from Colombo to a proposed landfill in the northwest of the island. The scheme will be funded by the government as part of the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project to ...
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NewsConstruction of Sri Lanka's Southern Railway begins
SRI LANKA: A groundbreaking ceremony at Beliatta on October 28 launched construction of the 26·8 km first phase of the 115 km Southern Railway project. The extension of the line from Matara to serve Kekanadura, Babarenda, Wavurukannala and Beliatta is scheduled to open in 2016. The 1 676 mm gauge ...
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NewsNorthern Railway revival funded
SRI LANKA: Ceremonies were held on November 27 to mark the start of work on the first phase of a programme to refurbish the war-damaged railways serving the island’s Northern Province, following the signing of a credit agreement under which India will provide US$416m towards the cost of the work. ...
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NewsSri Lankan contracts placed
SRI LANKA: The government has signed a contract for China National Machinery Import & Export Corp to build the first phase of the 110 km Matara – Kataragama line along the south coast. The initial section will run 30 km east from Matara to Beliatta, with four stations, and is ...