Ill-fated locomotives that run on money

Tharaka Wickramasekara

The Sri Lankan Railway is beset with two perennial problems: Trains do not operate on scheduled times and the mounting losses occurring in the large-scale purchases of spares and other irregularities continue unabated.

The controversial purchase of the French Alstom engines is a case in point. Eight years ago ten such French engines, each costing Rs. 190 million were purchased at a staggering amount of Rs. 1900 million. Within a shoot span of 2 to 3 years all these engines, except for 2 or 3 had to be scrapped. The loss to the State coffers was tremendous.

Since the purchase of engines has cropped up again it is time to reflect on the railway's past performance!

As we are aware if ever any problem relating to the import of railway engines or any such expensive item arises, the blame is always attributed to the Railway Minister or Railway Chief.

However, in regard to the import of engines, spare parts, coaches etc. the responsibility is rested in the Railway Tender Board and the Technical Evaluation Committee.

Whoever took the initiative in the import of French engines it has now become a white elephant to be looked after by the cash-strapped railway. These engines were imported on the belief that it has the capacity to haul over 14 coaches on the up-country track to Badulla. It however, failed to proceed beyond Nawalapitiya. Several modifications had also to be effected to these engines by the railway expertise to suit the local requirements.

Were not the railway top officials who enjoyed expensive foreign trips to negotiate the transaction blind to these fundamental flaws? If such defects could be attributed to the company specifications, legal action could have been taken against them.

Robbers have free access to vital components of French engines parked in railway yards. The expensive wire system in engine No. 864 lying at the Ratmalana Yard had been removed by the robbers. Once when a Railway Minister went on inspection to Ratmalana workshops, a top-ranking railway security officer told him that two wheels weighing over three tons were smuggled by the robbers over the eight feet high parapet wall!

The Cabinet-appointed tender board headed by B. C. Perera strongly recommended the purchase of railway engines made by the General Motors Company. However, when the Technical Evaluation Committee recommended the French Alstorm and a Korean Company along with General Motors, the Ministerial Committee selected the French Alstom as the best tenderer.

A senior railway engines promptly reached by bidding farewell to the country perhaps in frustration or protest! Although the General Motors had assured the Railway authorities that they would stand by their recommendation that their make was the best for the upcountry track, yet the decision was made in favour of the French Alstorm M-9.

The electricity generation system in the French engines is so complex, the error detection if any, because rather difficult to the local expertise.

Why these engines so ill-fated to be 'condemned' within a short spell of 2 to 3 years is accounted for as follows:

1. Elaborate computerized system

2. Unbeatable maintenance costs

3. The local expertise had to consult the French manufacturer whenever engine repairs were found necessary.

4. Maintenance runs counter to the established department procedures.

The fact that the Alstom had to be consulted for technical advice in case of repairs, purchase of spares etc. posed serious constraints to the Railway Department. Obviously this situation should have been anticipated during the initial stages of negotiations.

The purchase of goods wagons from Pakistan is another narrowing episode to be narrated. One hundred (100) goods wagons, each costing no less than Rs. 6.3 million were imported from B. G. G. S. Pakistan at a huge amount of Rs. 630 million.

The railway engineers too boasted that the Pakistani wagons could run at a speed of 120 KMPH. Unfortunately it turned out to be a still-born success to the Railway Department. Twenty five wagons for container transport imported from Egypt necessitated urgent structural repairs right at the beginning.

Meanwhile, the tragedy of the Railway continued unabated. The purchase of a manually-operated signal system caused a massive loss to the Department.

When this foul transaction was reported to the Bribery Authorities on the initiative of farmer G. M. R., K. A. Premasiri, a top engineer had to leave his job.

The loss increased in the purchase of 175 trolleys is yet to be investigated. The responsibility for these deliberate losses resulting from ill-designed policies, decisions, recommendation etc. of top officials sometimes reflect on Ministers as well.

The purchase of engines, the pilot of the railway operations needs further probing. The General Motors M 2 engines imported 50 years ago and M 4 engines operating since 1975 are reported to be still in excellent condition. The M 5 Japanese engines purchased in 1979 are still on the track only after being refitted with new diesel engines. Four more are still to be refitted with new engines.

Of a total of 16 M 6 engines (General Motors type) imported from Germany, 14 are reported to be in good condition. The remaining two were damaged after bomb explosions.

16 M7 engines (General Motors type) imported from Great Britain, except one condemned due to terrorist explosions, are still in use in our tracks. However, of the 10 recently imported French Alstom engines only 4 have survived upto date. As it is others are destined to end up in junk yards!

Following is the break-up of engines stationed at Maligawatte running shed and Maradana ELS.

Now it appears that the General Motors Engines are a panacea for much of the railway's ills. It will make the maintenance of its locomotives easier with relatively less impact on its limited resources. The M5 engines refitted with new engines in 1998 are no longer operating and the colossal amount of resource spent on it have frittered away.

Today all Badulla bound trains on the upcountry line which are fitted with General Motor Engines do a marvellous job in transporting passengers from Colombo to Badulla and back at a stretch for 3 to 5 days in a week.

Although the M5 High Rpm engines performed a similar job it was only short-lived. The M5 Japanese Hitachi engines are operating today only after being refitted with caterpillar engines at the local railway yards. Their longevity however, is limited to no more than 9 years and were never deployed on the upcountry line upto Badulla.

The former GMR B.D. Rampala was a reputed locomotive engineer who rendered yeoman service to the Railway Department. In 1968/69 during his administration the railway fleet as augmented with the import of 61 W-class engines of which 16 are W 2 and balance 45, W1 and shunting engineers of Y-class.

Within a short spell the W 2 engines were withdrawn form the upcountry line and were gradually confined to the workshops along with W1 engines. Only one W2 engine and two W1 engines have survived upto date.

10 W-1 engines refitted with caterpillar engineers have since been added to the fleet. W-2 class engines powered by 16 cylinders were found to be uneconomical and unsuitable since the impact of excessive heat it generates tend to shorten the life of turbo chargers. The undisputed pact is that the High Rpm engines remain a white elephant eating into the railway's meagre resources.

The Railway Department under former GMR, B.D. Rampala was forced to purchase the High Rpm engines because the General Motors were not willing to revamping their engines, it was claimed.

The M2 class engines have successfully weathered the storm for the last 54 years and would possibly continue for another 50 years, it is speculated.

M5 (Hitachi), W1 and W2 models were found to be short-lived due to the defective features in the engines. The alternative method of refitting engines with catapillar makes is not worth white in view of the high costs to be incurred.

The former Transport Minister, the late Mrs. Srimanee Athulathmudali too was totally in favour of General Motors whenever the necessity for new railway engines came up.

Summed up, the past experience has enlightened the Railway Department to go for the Medium RPM if ever its fleet to be augmented.

Transport Minister, Dallas Alahapperuma recollecting the past said, those days many people had raised alarm against the import of railway engines from the General Motors. "I, on my part favour them as the best suited for the railway requirements", the Minister remarked.

"In the purchase of engines, the Railway Department has to give thought to such vital matters as the native of the upcountry line upto Badulla, nature of the railway bends and bridges, engine capacity that determines the number of coaches to be hauled etc.

When the track or the bridges are found to be weaker, it has to be reinforced to ensure a safe journey. However, the performance as well as the durability of diesel engine remains the core necessity.

Unlike the Bo-Bo model engines with 4 sets of wheels weighing between 80-90 tons, which operate on the up country line upto Badulla, the M-9 French Alstom has been found to be totally unsuitable in view of its in-built defect. If weighs over 100 tons.

In the purchase of railing engines selection has to be based basically on the experience so far gained in the working of various locomotive engines. The Cabinet appointed tender board and the technical valuation committee ought to go into these areas and make its final decision," the former GMR, Priyal de Silva commented.

Another GMR, a reputed Civil engineer, W.K.B. Weragama said much caution has to be exercised if ever the computerised engines are preferred. The maintenance of such engines is rather difficult and also not tenable. In the purchase of engines, the maintenance aspect should be uppermost in our mind.

"I won't interfere with the recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Committee as I am not an engineer.

However, I have told the Committee that the engines we need should surely be suitable for the upcountry line and its maintenance need not be expensive," GMR, Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan said.

The Railway Technical Evaluation Committee Chairman, Addl. GMR (Technical), P.P. Wijesekera says tenders for purchase of new railway engines have been called for. "We have drawn their attention to such vital matters as the country's climate, nature of railway bends, engine capacity exceeding 1,450 KW, maximum weight restricted to 92 tons etc," he reiterated.

The additional GMR in reply to a query about the M-9 Class French Alstom engines explained that the technical evaluation committee was in favour of the General Motors but the situation changed due to the presence of an invisible hand from above! It is because of that nobody could be charge-sheeted so far.

The media cannot advise the Railway Department on the purchase of railway engines if needs. We have recounted the story relating to the purchase of engines in the past. Already a sum of Rs. 3,000 million has been provided for the purchase of 15 engines.

It is time for the Railway Authorities to reflect on its own past and make a wise decision this time.

Translated by K.D.M. Kittanpahuwa