Locomotives and Rolling Stock
Locomotives of Sri Lanka Railways consist mostly of diesel locomotives. Steam locomotives were used on regular services until the 1950s, but now only run on heritage trains, such as the Viceroy Special.
The first locomotives pulled trains in the 1860s on the original segment of the Main Line, on 54 kilometres connecting Colombo and Ambepussa. In 1953, Sri Lanka Railways enhanced its service to more power with diesel locomotives. Since then, various types of diesel locomotives were added to the service.
As of August 2011, Sri Lanka does not have commercially operational electric locomotives or train sets. Electrification has been proposed, to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.
Most passenger coaches are either Romanian-built ASTRA passenger coaches or Chinese-built CSR coaches. On most lines, the service is currently being upgraded, as new long-haul diesel multiple units from CSR and India's RITES Ltd are being imported.
Read more about this topic: Sri Lanka Railways
Famous quotes containing the words locomotives, rolling and/or stock:
“The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
In the days of long ago,
Ranged where the locomotives sing
And the prairie flowers lie low:—”
—Vachel Lindsay (1879–1931)
“He says the waves in the ship’s wake
are like stones rolling away.
I don’t see it that way.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“The freedom to make a fortune on the Stock Exchange has been made to sound more alluring than freedom of speech.”
—John Mortimer (b. 1923)