Sri Lanka Railways S11
Encyclopedia
Sri Lanka Railways Class S11 is a diesel multiple-unit (DMU) train, built for Sri Lanka Railways
by RITES Ltd, an Indian state infrastructure corporation. The DMUs are currently being imported in phases, with the last batch arriving in Sri Lanka in March 2012. They were built to replace locomotive-hauled passenger trains. Twenty S11 DMUs were ordered to strengthen long distance travel on the Coastal railway line from Colombo to Matara.
One of the DMUs faced technical problems on its inaugral journey. During the journey, the train came to an abrupt halt, which delayed it considerably. This raised questions of the quality of the S11 DMUs, and their importing was suspended. In April, the suspension was revoked, as a team from RITES inspected them and declared that the faults were due to an electrical failure caused by tinkering.
, Galle
, and Matara
. The sets are used on the Ruhunu Kumari.
Sri Lanka Railways
Sri Lanka Railway Department, branded "Sri Lanka Railways", is a key department of the Sri Lankan Government under the Ministry of Transport with a history that begins in 1858...
by RITES Ltd, an Indian state infrastructure corporation. The DMUs are currently being imported in phases, with the last batch arriving in Sri Lanka in March 2012. They were built to replace locomotive-hauled passenger trains. Twenty S11 DMUs were ordered to strengthen long distance travel on the Coastal railway line from Colombo to Matara.
Conception
The railway decided to add the DMUs to its service as part of its Coastal line's upgrade project, where track was upgraded to improve speed. The DMUs were built by RITES Ltd, to replace locomotive-hauled passenger trains.Inaugaration into service
The trains were inaugarated into the railway service in March 2011, with a ceremony at Matara Railway Station. According to a press release from the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, twenty DMUs are being supplied to Sri Lanka Railways in phases till March 2012.One of the DMUs faced technical problems on its inaugral journey. During the journey, the train came to an abrupt halt, which delayed it considerably. This raised questions of the quality of the S11 DMUs, and their importing was suspended. In April, the suspension was revoked, as a team from RITES inspected them and declared that the faults were due to an electrical failure caused by tinkering.
Alawwa Crash
On 17 September 2011, near Alawwa, two trains (a locomotive-hauled train and an S11 DMU) collided, killing 3 people and injuring 20. The S11 ran into the rear observation car of the train ahead.Operations
The S11 DMUs are primarily operated on the Coastal line, connecting ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, and Matara
Matara, Sri Lanka
Matara is a city on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km from Colombo. It is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka. It was deeply affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.-History:...
. The sets are used on the Ruhunu Kumari.
Current fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. in service | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit numbers. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class S11 | Sri Lanka Railways Sri Lanka Railways Sri Lanka Railway Department, branded "Sri Lanka Railways", is a key department of the Sri Lankan Government under the Ministry of Transport with a history that begins in 1858... |
Unknown (20 expected by March 2012) | 2011 - 2012 (currently being introduced in phases) | 6 | - |