• No probe into faulty engine import decision costing millions
• Audit reveals 47 M-class, 31 S-class engines out of service
• Engines purchased without TE; unions criticise decision
• 160 railway carriages also fail to meet standards
• GM assures repairs for idle engines; ministry in the dark

Five M11 engines, valued at over Rs. 3,825 million and imported from India under the Indian Credit Line in 2019, are still awaiting repairs at the Railways Department’s workshop in Ratmalana, according to The Sunday Morning’s findings. 

It is learnt that these engines, which had been brought to Sri Lanka without a proper Technical Evaluation (TE), are unsuitable for the country’s railway tracks.

Despite having been in Sri Lanka for more than five years, no proper investigation has been carried out to determine who bears the responsibility for the faulty decision to import engines incompatible with the country’s railway system at the cost of millions of rupees, The Sunday Morning reliably learns.

According to the latest audit report from the National Audit Office (NAO) on the Department of Railways, of the 10 M11 engines purchased in 2019 at Rs. 765 million each, five have been removed from service and sent for repairs. 

While earlier models of the M-class engines had performed well, recent purchases have suffered from technical defects, affecting their performance. 

By the end of 2023, the Department of Railways had 103 M-class engines and 133 S-class engines. Out of these, 47 M-class engines and 31 S-class engines have been declared out of service and sent for repairs.

The audit report has further revealed that the M-class engines had been purchased at a wide price range, from Rs. 15 million to Rs. 765 million per unit, and S-class engines between Rs. 8 million and Rs. 218 million. 

Many of the engines, including 47 M-class and 31 S-class, have been stored in running sheds or at the Ratmalana workshop for periods ranging from 1-7 years without being repaired.

The NAO has recommended that future engine purchases should prioritise technical compatibility with Sri Lanka’s rail infrastructure.

All Ceylon Railway General Employees Union (ACRGEU) President P. Vithanage speaking to The Sunday Morning criticised the decision to import these engines without a technical evaluation. 

He pointed out that the department had lacked expert committees at the time of the purchase. 

While engineers had visited India before the purchase, they had not been officially appointed by the department, Vithanage said. He added that it was the ministry, not the department, that made the final decision to purchase the engines.

Vithanage also expressed concerns about the practicality of returning the engines to India, as India was now upgrading to electric engines. He noted that while neighbouring countries had modernised their railways, Sri Lanka remained behind. 

The lack of spare parts for these engines has also made repairs costly and time-consuming.

“We have sufficient engines and compartments; what we lack is sufficient trained technical staff. Despite having experts, we cannot make progress due to a shortage of relevant technical employees,” Vithanage stressed.

In addition to the engine issues, the NAO report has revealed that 160 railway carriages have been purchased under the Indian credit line for $ 82.6 million (Rs. 11,564 million), but the project has failed to meet its objectives. 

The estimated cost of importing one carriage had been $ 0.3 million, but with additional charges, the actual cost had risen to $ 0.558 million per carriage. Out of the 160 carriages, only 10 had been accepted, while the remaining 150 had been recommended for receipt without inspection. 

Technical deviations had been found in these carriages, including changes in length, width, and height, due to which they had exceeded the standard specifications. 

These discrepancies had led to a reduction in the number of seats and the carriages had been found to be 16 inches higher than the standard height, affecting compatibility with railway platforms.

Commenting on this issue, Sri Lanka Railways General Manager J.I.D. Jayasundara told The Sunday Morning that the engines were still awaiting repairs and assured that they would soon be repaired and put to local use.

However, when contacted, Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation Secretary Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera stated that he was unaware of the issue.

The audit has also found that the Railways Department had planned to cover 84,224 train itineraries in 2021, but only managed to complete 69,036 itineraries, resulting in the cancellation of 15,188 train services or 18% of the total planned itineraries.