Sri Lankan train drivers to boycott Made in China railway carriages

NEW DELHI: In a major setback for China’s infrastructure footprints in Sri Lanka, local engine drivers have decided to boycott operating trains with railway carriages made in China.
The Sri Lankan Locomotive Engine Operators' Union (LEOU) Secretary Indika Dodangoda recently said that railway carriages made in China pose a threat to the safety of the passengers.
He alleged that when engine drivers put the brakes on the engine, railway carriages made in China continue for a fair distance before coming to a halt.

Dodangoda told local reporters in Colombo recently that railway carriages made in China need to be properly maintained to ensure they meet the local standards.

He said that until concerns raised over the railway carriages made in China are addressed engine drivers will boycott operating trains with those railway carriages.

Last September, Lankan Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge had instructed the Railway Engineering Department to submit a report on faulty Chinese train compartments in Sri Lanka.

Lokuge instructed the Railway Engineering Department to probe and submit a report as a number of complaints were filed by train engine drivers in this regard in the recent past.

The Engine Drivers Union pointed out that nearly 200 mishaps had been reported in the recent past due to faulty brakes on Chinese train compartments.

It may be noted that Lanka has also trains that have been fully manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. A new train set was supplied to Sri Lanka Railways by RITES Limited under an Indian Line of Credit. The Pulathisi Express has been equipped with the best-in-class passenger amenities including modular interiors, an on-board entertainment system and fully rotating seats in air-conditioned chair car coaches for passenger comfort. Earlier another DEMU train manufactured under Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative was also flagged off in Sri Lanka.

An agreement was signed earlier between Indian Railways and Sri Lanka Railways for supply of six DEMU train sets to Sri Lanka. Each of these train sets consists of 13 coaches, totaling 78 coaches for six train sets. All these train sets have been manufactured by the Integral Coach factory (ICF) in Chennai.