15 power sets here from September
Sri Lanka will soon receive 15 power sets (Class S10) which have already been shipped from China.
They will strengthen the rail service. The first power set is due to arrive in Sri Lanka during the first week of September. These 15 power sets will cost US$ 40 million and this is the first time in eight years that we are getting down so many power sets, a Transport Ministry spokesman said.
He said that the total power set fleet will be increased to 50 with the addition of these 15 power sets. The Chinese Government was keen to supply these power sets to Sri Lanka and they will be imported to Sri Lanka with Chinese funds.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to China inked an agreement to obtain these 15 power sets under the lowest prices that prevailed in the market.
Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma stressed that this was a pledge in the Mahinda Chinthana which has become a reality now. The Government has also allocated a Rs.1,700 million to carry out this project.
The Hubei Machinery and Equipment Import Export Company, a state enterprise, has manufactured these 15 power sets following the latest technologies suitable for modern day today requirements of the railway service , he said. “We expect to have a few test runs before putting them out for commuter transport, to ensure the safety of the power sets and to check their performance on our rail tracks,” Minister Alahapperuma said.
Around 400 commuters can be transported by one power set which has been finished using stainless steel outside and inside to provide best service for commuters. One power set comprises six coaches. “We will deploy these 15 power sets to the railway fleet of Colombo to Aluthgama, Rambukkana, Chilaw and Kelani Valley from the first week of November. We have given priority to deploy more power sets for the office workers targeting to streamline the country’s state transport service,” he said.
He said another 20 power sets and 10 train engines imported from India are scheduled to be added to the service from first quarter of 2009.
by Irangika RANGE
Source: Daily News
