Electric future for railways
13 December 2016
Sri Lanka’s railway landscape has hardly changed since the days of the British Raj – in fact we have the singular distinction of truncating a perfectly good line that existed up to Opanaike. The only sign of progress was the change from steam to diesel. We have been talking about electrifying our railway lines for decades, but nothing happened.
After years of false hopes, the Sri Lanka Railways plans to take a giant leap forward by introducing an electric train service by 2020 with construction slated to start next year itself. Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva disclosed these plans at a technical workshop on the proposed inauguration of electric train services.
During the first stage of the programme, the electric train service would be introduced on the Veyangoda - Polgahawela, Ragama - Negombo lines and Maradana to Homagama on the Kelani Valley Line. This would involve the modernization of rail roads to enable the operation of trains at a speed of 100 km per hour, introduction of a new signal system and an automatic security brake system. There would be three railway lines from Colombo Fort to Panadura, four lines from Maradana to Ragama and two lines from Maradana to Homagama. This is in addition to the Light Rail Transport (LRT) systems proposed under the Megapolis programme in the Western Province, which will also be electric-powered.
What are the advantages of electric railways? It is much less polluting, (if not zero pollution), faster, silent, more stable and more comfortable. They will enable commuters to experience faster journey times – for example, if an electric train were to go up to Galle, it would only take around one hour. Eventually, the authorities should aim for an islandwide network of electric rail lines including new tracks and extensions of existing ones. This should include an electric train service that directly links the Bandaranaike International Airport to Colombo City. While foreign experts will necessarily have to be involved in the construction process, our engineers and contractors must get a fair share of the work. When even foreign railway firms were baffled by the sheer destruction caused to the Southern coastal line by the tsunami, it was our engineers and contractors who repaired the lines perfectly in just two-three weeks.
Apart from cruise ships, trains are the only vehicles that can accommodate more than 1,000 passengers at once. Nothing can beat the economies of scale that trains offer in terms of the cost per passenger. If more car owners can be enticed to travel by train, hundreds of cars can be taken off the roads. Electric cars will appeal to much broader segment of commuters including car owners, precisely due to the advantages outlined above. The authorities should begin a campaign from next year to promote the proposed electric trains among car owners. Our air will also get much cleaner as a result, apart from the fuel savings. There is an infatuation with expressways among both lawmakers and the public, but a network of high-speed railway lines will be a far better investment in the long run.
Japan has long held the records for the fastest trains in the world with its acclaimed Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ trains. The fastest Shinkansen train, the Nozomi, can reach speeds up to 300 Km/h. Many countries including China (maglev), Germany (ICE) and France (TGV) have super-fast rail services, with India slated to join the club by 2023 with its 508-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai line. Elon Musk of Tesla fame has proposed a mass transit system called Hyperloop that can reach speeds up to 1,200 Km/h, which is actually faster than any commercial airplane. Even speeds of 300 km/h may not be practical in Sri Lanka given the varied terrain, infrastructure problems such as level crossings and the geographical size, but the authorities must go in for the fastest possible conventional electric trains.
Clearly, train travel is fast becoming the best option for faster, cleaner, greener travel. Here in Sri Lanka, train travel is popular, but not as popular as it should be. There are many factors for this status quo. One is that the train network does not reach every part of the country. Another factor is that our trains are not all that efficient, clean and fast. Train stations also deserve an upgrade. Better comfort levels in trains and at stations will attract more passengers.
Passenger transport is only one aspect of rail operations. We give little thought to the possibility to transporting more freight by rail. However, it is much more economical in the long run than deploying a multitude of container trucks that often clog traffic and cause horrendous accidents. It will also help reduce fuel consumption. A mechanism should be evolved to transport more freight by rail in consultation with major importers and exporters. An electricity-driven rail network will enable the faster movement of both people and goods, giving a real boost to the economy.
After years of false hopes, the Sri Lanka Railways plans to take a giant leap forward by introducing an electric train service by 2020 with construction slated to start next year itself. Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva disclosed these plans at a technical workshop on the proposed inauguration of electric train services.
During the first stage of the programme, the electric train service would be introduced on the Veyangoda - Polgahawela, Ragama - Negombo lines and Maradana to Homagama on the Kelani Valley Line. This would involve the modernization of rail roads to enable the operation of trains at a speed of 100 km per hour, introduction of a new signal system and an automatic security brake system. There would be three railway lines from Colombo Fort to Panadura, four lines from Maradana to Ragama and two lines from Maradana to Homagama. This is in addition to the Light Rail Transport (LRT) systems proposed under the Megapolis programme in the Western Province, which will also be electric-powered.
What are the advantages of electric railways? It is much less polluting, (if not zero pollution), faster, silent, more stable and more comfortable. They will enable commuters to experience faster journey times – for example, if an electric train were to go up to Galle, it would only take around one hour. Eventually, the authorities should aim for an islandwide network of electric rail lines including new tracks and extensions of existing ones. This should include an electric train service that directly links the Bandaranaike International Airport to Colombo City. While foreign experts will necessarily have to be involved in the construction process, our engineers and contractors must get a fair share of the work. When even foreign railway firms were baffled by the sheer destruction caused to the Southern coastal line by the tsunami, it was our engineers and contractors who repaired the lines perfectly in just two-three weeks.
Apart from cruise ships, trains are the only vehicles that can accommodate more than 1,000 passengers at once. Nothing can beat the economies of scale that trains offer in terms of the cost per passenger. If more car owners can be enticed to travel by train, hundreds of cars can be taken off the roads. Electric cars will appeal to much broader segment of commuters including car owners, precisely due to the advantages outlined above. The authorities should begin a campaign from next year to promote the proposed electric trains among car owners. Our air will also get much cleaner as a result, apart from the fuel savings. There is an infatuation with expressways among both lawmakers and the public, but a network of high-speed railway lines will be a far better investment in the long run.
Japan has long held the records for the fastest trains in the world with its acclaimed Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ trains. The fastest Shinkansen train, the Nozomi, can reach speeds up to 300 Km/h. Many countries including China (maglev), Germany (ICE) and France (TGV) have super-fast rail services, with India slated to join the club by 2023 with its 508-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai line. Elon Musk of Tesla fame has proposed a mass transit system called Hyperloop that can reach speeds up to 1,200 Km/h, which is actually faster than any commercial airplane. Even speeds of 300 km/h may not be practical in Sri Lanka given the varied terrain, infrastructure problems such as level crossings and the geographical size, but the authorities must go in for the fastest possible conventional electric trains.
Clearly, train travel is fast becoming the best option for faster, cleaner, greener travel. Here in Sri Lanka, train travel is popular, but not as popular as it should be. There are many factors for this status quo. One is that the train network does not reach every part of the country. Another factor is that our trains are not all that efficient, clean and fast. Train stations also deserve an upgrade. Better comfort levels in trains and at stations will attract more passengers.
Passenger transport is only one aspect of rail operations. We give little thought to the possibility to transporting more freight by rail. However, it is much more economical in the long run than deploying a multitude of container trucks that often clog traffic and cause horrendous accidents. It will also help reduce fuel consumption. A mechanism should be evolved to transport more freight by rail in consultation with major importers and exporters. An electricity-driven rail network will enable the faster movement of both people and goods, giving a real boost to the economy.
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