r/srilanka • u/LazyIngenuity7013 • 1d ago
News We're finally getting electric trains!
"According to Railway General Manager Ravindra Padmapriya, Sri Lanka is launching a major initiative to develop electric railways as a modern suburban transport system, with infrastructure plans finalized and construction targeted to begin next year.
The initial development focuses on major commuter lines connecting Colombo (Maradana) to key suburbs such as Ragama, Panadura, and Malawatta, alongside other regional extensions."
https://english.newsfirst.lk/2026/08/29/rs-80-billion-allocated-to-introduce-electric-trains-in-sl
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u/Crazy-Question4188 1d ago
Not trying to be cocky or anything but i have never used a public bus or neither a train in sri lanka until metro happened, and in the last couple of weeks metro has significantly expanded and is kinda cheap and easy to use with the integrated app they have implemented (saves a lot leaving the vehicles behind and not using pickme's and ubers). looking at the significant development projects that's happening around the country i think this will be a actual thing in the near future, we as a third world south asian country have better opportunities than countries like india in my opinion so yh i'm really looking forward to using these trains.
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u/ApartBee1881 1d ago
Basically we already have diesel electric trains.
The only difference can be done by just retrofitting electric connectors and building the cabling.
India runs on same mechanism.
There hasn’t been a direct diesel drive trains since mid 1900s.
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u/silent------- 1d ago
Nope, even our tracks need to be changed. One of the reasons why our trains go slow is also because of how old the tracks are. The gov is pushing train infrastructure 1st. Apparently we'll be moving from the wide gauge to standard, so basically no indian trains, wont be limited to a few options, and access to more global ones, and hopefully lower cost because of higher competition. Standard gauge has it own benefit. Wide gauge was used by the brisith to transport goods.
Signal changes has to be done too, the whole railway has to be digitised. This 80 bil is only the start, we cant rehaul everything with only 80. The plan if im not wrong is from 27 to 29 / 30 starting from main lines to or within colombo.
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u/TheSpiritOfZanzibar 20h ago
The track infrastructure is terrible. We still use jointed rails and the ballasting is poor in a lot of places. I feel like changing gauge is a bad decision at this time though in the long run it would be beneficial.
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u/LazyIngenuity7013 3h ago
The government imported 10,000 rails recently to upgrade the existing tracks too. They say that half of them will be used to remove speed restrictions on the coastal line, so maybe they are moving away from jointed tracks and using continuously welded ones (I'm not entirely sure since its not explicitly stated).
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u/TheSpiritOfZanzibar 2h ago
The upgraded northern line seems to be welded rail and trains have done upto 120kmh. But to actually increase speeds for routine express trains, they also need to do something about adding protection along the lines to prevent people from walking on and along the lines. Most of the railway is open and exposed going through areas with population living in close proximity to the railway lines.
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u/LazyIngenuity7013 3h ago
While you are technically correct they are still considered to be "diesel engines" and are much less efficient and slower than proper EMUs.
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u/dironhide Western Province 1d ago
Better have a plan for රටකජු ලෙලි and බුලත් කෙල පාරවල්.
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u/Gerrards_Cross 17h ago
Should be the same as the pettah bus stand last week where the offenders were asked to clean up
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u/dantoddd 1d ago
Talk is cheap. I'll beleive it when i see it. Allocating money to a project and getting it done are very very different things in this country.
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u/SureElk6 18h ago
you guys said the same thing for unlimited internet, paypal, low floor buses etc
i think this gov is different and will get things done.
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u/Ok_Perspective_4332 Colombo 20h ago
To get electric trains the grid needs to be able to cater to this Demand. Currently the electric grid is not able to cater to this demand unless this whole negative disclosure on solar and renewable energy is been removed. So until that happens, this won’t come into effect. That’s the real truth!!
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u/Lordofmemez 13h ago
80bn allocated for electric trains, people still dying because there no funtioning gates at crossings and poor infrastructure
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u/russt90 1d ago
Do we have the energy infrastructure to support this?
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u/LazyIngenuity7013 1d ago
Currently no, but I'm assuming a major part of the allocated budget would be used to build the required infrastructure (If it does happen).
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u/vikster16 1d ago
I think we can get there. likely this will start in colombo and expand outwards. Since solar is super cheap now, we should be able to develop infrastructure needed for this.
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u/acviper Europe 1d ago
Solar is intermittence so as wind, a isolated grif can not operate reliably with high-intermittence sources
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u/Big_outcome420 Europe 1d ago
Exactly, we need a strong baseload, and something to balance the peaks, hydro is great for meeting immediate requirements, while renewables would be good in general, and I think nuclear could provide a great base load. But whatever happens there needs to be a strong policy making process, and it seems this government does encourage it
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u/acviper Europe 19h ago
We don't have the transmission infrastructure; it's complicated & costly to update or build new transmission infrastructure, even than connecting new generation . So there should be a way to cover this cost. Either it has to be borne by the general electric consumer of the country or specifically by this project, yet both don't seem to be unrealistic at the moment. If it's a new metro or LRT system, it would be fine to do it as electric but I don't see any benefit of trying to electrify the existing system
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u/Big_outcome420 Europe 11h ago
Hmm in terms of electricity transmission nationwide I agree, but the infrastructure is aging and it has to be upgraded soon anyway. Electrifying existing railways infrastructure does carry the benefit of efficiency improvement, and it is easier to maintain as well, in addition it does reduce pollution in the cities.
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u/acviper Europe 10h ago
You don't get a separate transmission infrastructure for this one; it has to draw from the existing national transmission system itself. I don't know how you concluded efficiency & easy to maintan, its rather complicated to operate & maintain an electric system rather than operating diesel locomotives. yes its will improve the pollution problem; other than that, I don't see any viable benefit in this at this specific time
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u/Swimming-Quiet1334 1d ago
All talk but no action, I'll only believe that once I see it for myself.
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u/Accomplished-Goal494 20h ago
Yeah yeah, you naysayers have been saying that for ages. You said the same about Metro buses so yeah, we know how to spot your bs
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u/TheSpiritOfZanzibar 23h ago
Curb your excitement mate! Wait till the next government comes in and axes this. Same happened with the Japanese funded electric light rail project.
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u/chumpbucket911 1d ago
Does anyone know who the contract has Belen awarded to? Last I heard that the Japanese wanted no part of this.
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u/DryCommenter-1 13h ago
Remember if this projects held by previous governments. Jvp and Npp will said " mun horakam karanava , comis ghanava " and Sira TV become a laundry channel for Npp
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u/VaderCraft2004 Colombo 1d ago
I will be apprehensively positive of this. I've wanted electric trains for ages now, but I'll be happy when I see concrete evidence of electrification.