The Sri Lankan Railways M9 locomotive is a mainline 6 axle Co'Co' diesel electric locomotive built by
Alstom
Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...
(manufacturers code AD 32C) and imported in 2000 for the
Sri Lanka Railways
The Sri Lanka Railway Department (more commonly known as Sri Lanka Railways (SLR)) ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා දුම්රිය සේවය ''Śrī Laṃkā Dumriya Sēvaya''; Tamil: இலங்கை புகையிரத ...
.
The locomotives initially had both electrical and mechanical problems, and several were out of service for several years. In 2010 the process of returning the fleet to service began.
History
Ten units were ordered in 1997 and delivered in 2000, costing 190 million
Sri Lankan rupee
The Sri Lankan Rupee ( si, රුපියල්, ta, ரூபாய்; Currency symbol, symbol: Re and Rs (plural) in English, රු in Sinhala, ௹ in Tamil; ISO 4217, ISO code: LKR) is the currency of Sri Lanka. It is subdivided into 100 ...
s each. By 2010 only 3 were in operation due to technical problems,
Various problems were described including engine malfunction, and problems with the engine control units,
as well as the machines requiring modifications for use on curving track.
The delay in returning the locomotives to service was ascribed to an unaffordability of spare parts,
and prohibitive cost of work by foreign firms.
The first of the 7 inoperative locomotives, number 869, was returned to service after 6 years in September 2010, following work by the
(ACCIMT) and the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI).
Operation
M9s were not allowed on line above
Nawalapitiya
Nawalapitiya ( si, නාවලපිටිය, ta, நாவலப்பிட்டி, translit=Nāvalappiṭṭi) is a town in Kandy District, Sri Lanka. It is governed by an Urban Council. It is away from Kandy and from Colombo, at a he ...
,
Kelani Valley Line and Matale line.
See also
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Locomotives of Sri Lanka Railways
Locomotives and train sets of Sri Lanka Railways consist mostly of diesel locomotives and multiple units. Steam locomotives are no longer used, except on heritage trains, such as the Viceroy Special.
The first locomotives pulled trains on the ori ...
*
Sri Lanka Railways
The Sri Lanka Railway Department (more commonly known as Sri Lanka Railways (SLR)) ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා දුම්රිය සේවය ''Śrī Laṃkā Dumriya Sēvaya''; Tamil: இலங்கை புகையிரத ...
*
Sri Lanka Railways
The Sri Lanka Railway Department (more commonly known as Sri Lanka Railways (SLR)) ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා දුම්රිය සේවය ''Śrī Laṃkā Dumriya Sēvaya''; Tamil: இலங்கை புகையிரத ...
References
M09
Alstom Prima diesel locomotives
5 ft 6 in gauge locomotives
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