Two Indian locomotives to reach Lankan shores early next year

by Gamini WARUSHAMANA

The CGR will receive two M8 locomotives by March next year to improve cargo transportation CGR General Manager B.A.T Ariyarathne said.

The two Indian locomotives which are currently being manufactured will reach the island early next year.

The CGR will use them to improve cargo transportation and to increase revenue, he said.

The CGR expects to increase revenue share from goods transportation to reduce operational loss.

Ariyarathne said that purchasing of 15 locomotives that the CGR planned five years ago, will be further delayed due to financial constraints. Tenders were called four years ago and General Motors company USA was short listed. However, these GM locomotives are expensive and funds allocated by the Treasury are not sufficient to purchase them and now the deal has reached a deadlock, he said.

Ariyarathne said that as a result, the CGR cannot improve train services on the upcountry track upto Badulla. Only GM locomotives have been successfully operated on this track. All other engines have failed to operate on this track.

The CGR prefers to purchase GM locomotives as they have a proven track record. Today the CGR has 22 varieties of locomotives and as a result the maintenance of the fleet has become extremely complex and is a cause for frequent breakdowns, train delays and other operational issues.

We have to deal with over 70,000 spare parts from different companies in different countries annually, he said.

Ariyarathne said that the CGR has an alternative plan to improve upcountry train services using specially designed power sets that are now being manufactured in China.