Train carriages to be made locally
by Rajmi Manatunga
The Transport Ministry is drawing up plans to set up a railway
workshop for manufacturing carriages required for the train service
locally.
"For many years there was a proposal to set up a factory exclusively
for manufacturing rail carriages so that the Government will not have to
spend money to import carriages. It is time that the proposal is
implemented," Transport and Railways Minister A.H.M. Fowzie said during
a visit to the Ratmalana railway workshop yesterday.
According to the Minister, the proposed workshop will be set up in
the form of a company attached to the Railway Department and completely
owned by the Government.
The maintenance of rail carriages is done by the Department's
Ratmalana workshop where around 30 rail carriages are repaired every
month.
"Since a new fleet of carriages is brought in for repairs every month
we have been compelled to purchase new carriages from outside to meet
the commuter demand. The new workshop will address this problem," he
said.
Fowzie also pledged to take all possible steps to ensure efficiency
at the Ratmalana workshop which he called the heart of Sri Lanka's train
service. |