SRI LANKAN Railways has been taking delivery of new Class M11 diesel locos, DEMUs and new coaches, all built in neighbouring India.
Ten new Class M11 diesel locos have been supplied – the first in 2018 and others more recently. These 3300hp six-axle machines use an EMD 12-710G 3C engine and were built at Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) – formerly known as Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, but renamed in 2020 to reflect the main output of the works is now electric locomotives.
The new locos plus six new Class S13 DEMUs are slowly displacing older Alco and EMD design diesel locos. Each S13 DEMU, built at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, is 13 coaches long and each unit has a mixture of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned carriages.
Classic traction remains in service – on the right, the last built Class M4 loco No. 756 dating from 1975 (Montreal Locomotive Works with an Alco 251C3 engine) sits in the loop with a Colombo to Aluthgama stopping train as Indian (DLW) built Class M8 Alco clone No. 846, equipped with an Alco 251-B engine, departs with the daily Kandy to Matara express train. Seen here side by side at Mount Lavinia on February 11.
MARK TORKINGTON