Five of the railway engines that had been imported under the Indian Credit line in 2019 for a cost of Rs. 760 million each are in non-operational condition, National Peoples Power (NPP) MP Vijitha Herath revealed.
Addressing the Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 29), MP Herath said a total of 10 railway engines had been imported under the Indian Credit line, out of which five are in non-operational condition and have been confined to a shed.
“These engines are too heavy and long. They do not meet our operational requirements. According to our railroad regulations, engines weighing more than 120 tonnes cannot operate on our railroads,” he explained.
MP Vijitha Herath pointed out that unfortunately, the necessary technical evaluations had not been carried out when importing the railway engines from India.
He further revealed that the issues with unsuitable train engines, lack of knowledgeable technicians, and unsuitable conditions have resulted in repeated delays in train services in the country. (NewsWire/ image- file pic)
In 2019, under the #Indian credit line, Sri Lanka imported 10 railway engines at a cost of Rs. 760 million each. However, five of these engines are in non-operational condition and have been confined to a shed. These engines are too heavy and long and do not meet our operational… pic.twitter.com/gJVeR9fDG9
— Manthri.LK_Watch (@ManthriLK_Watch) November 29, 2023
