Sri Lanka Railways S5 is a class of

Diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

(DMU) train set built by

Hitachi () is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is active in various industries, including digital systems, power and renewable ener ...

and introduced to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

between 1969 and 1970, only two of which were imported. The class was built with modern interior facilities aimed towards the special train tours market and is operated by

Sri Lanka Railways The Sri Lanka Railway Department (more commonly known as Sri Lanka Railways (SLR)) (Sinhala language, Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා දුම්රිය සේවය ''Śrī Laṃkā Dumriya Sēvaya''; Sri Lankan Tamil dialects, Tamil: ...

Description

A one-train set consists of 2 power cars (including the engine) and 3 passenger cars. Previous classes of DMUs in Sri Lanka had only one power car; with their extra capacity, Class S5s could operate on upcountry main lines. Their total passenger capacity is 100.

Facilities

The train comprises a buffet car and a kitchen; all passenger cars were air conditioned. There was also an automatic door system which was later removed. There was an interior communication system.

Operations

This class could be operated in any railway line in Sri Lanka except the

Kelani Valley Line The Kelani Valley railway line in Sri Lanka, covering the breadth of Colombo District. The line is owned, maintained, and operated by Sri Lanka Railways. Route definition and overview The Kelani Valley line runs southeast from Maradana Railway ...

. It was only used for chartered services and has performed on the up-country line several times.

Incidents

In 1970 due to an accident, the engine of No. 720 power car was destroyed. These 717-720 train-sets were later refurbished with only one engine per train.

Acquisition By Airport & Aviation Services Limited

One S5 DMU (718-719) was chartered by Sri Lanka Airport & Aviation Services Limited and this was repainted in light blue and dark blue livery. The new painted S5's inaugural run was for

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guests to Colombo Fort from Katunayake.

Gallery

File:Class S5.jpg, Class S5 engine 720 attached to a S5 carriage at the Hydraulic Locomotive Shed, depot for S5s File:SLR S5 718 - 2.jpg, Engine 720 on the approach to Coral Gardens Halt

References

{{Locomotives of Sri Lanka S5 Hitachi multiple units Train-related introductions in 1969