Railways gets largest export order of Rs 680 cr from SL

Indian railways has bagged its largest export order of Rs 680 crore that involves supplying modern locomotives and train sets to Sri Lanka. The ambitious project is likely to boost by great extent the finances of railways’, which is presently reeling under crores of loss.

Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), a Railways’ PSU which serves as the exporter arm of railways, has secured the grand order from Sri Lanka Railways for the supply of ten broad gauge diesel locomotives and six DMU (diesel multiple units) train sets. DMU train sets do not require separate locomotive as the engines are incorporated into one or more of its coaches.

A senior railway ministry official said that locomotives and train sets would be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and would be manufactured in Varanasi and Chennai. The contract will be funded under the Indian Line of Credit to Sri Lanka announced in 2011, and supplies will be made over the next two years, the official added. Supplies of locomotives from Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi is likely to be completed in 2017-2018.

RITES is presently executing a contract for the supply of 18 locomotives to Myanmar Railways. Earlier, it had exported 20 DMU train sets, three locomotives to Sri Lanka, besides providing expertise for setting up railway maintenance facilities and training of the island nation’s railway officials during the period 2008-12.