Sri Lanka Railway (SLR) commissioned the first of four locomotives literally resurrected from the Railway's scrap yard and re-engined with Caterpillar engines in technical collaboration with Caterpillar's local agents - United Tractor and Equipment Ltd (UTE).

The project helped save Rs. 460 million as it was handled by Sri Lankan engineers, a UTE press release said.

The project propels Sri Lanka as the first country in Asia to repower locomotives with Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines.

Caterpillar has revolutionised the locomotive engine industry setting new benchmarks, since its advent into this global industry from the position of being a world leader in the manufacture of diesel engines for industrial applications. Caterpillar locomotive engines have swept the markets in the US and Africa and with the unprecedented success in Sri Lanka, an invasion of the Asian market looks imminent the UTE said.

This remarkable engineering feat assumed greater significance with the locomotives assigned to the gruelling up-country line, where in earlier incidents, some of the best known and brand new engines failed.

The first re-commissioned engine, an M5 Class Locomotive, has surpassed all previous SLR performance standards imparting more speed and control on the hill tracks as never before. "The locomotives selected for rehabilitation have been in the railway scrap yard in Ratmalana exposed to the elements for over a decade. The transformation since then has surprised even the hardest detractors of the project", said Priath Fernando, Chairman of UTE.

The Caterpillar engines for this project along with the shafts, couplings, accessories and design for the engine subframe required for the re-engining were provided by Zeppelin Baumaschinen GmbH of Germany with co-ordination and monitoring or the complex project carried out by UTE.