Electric trains in Lanka soon

Irangika RANGE

The Government will obtain Chinese technical assistance to introduce electric trains to Sri Lanka.

Transport Minister Kumara Welgama said he will travel to China seeking help for this project and study the technology to introduce electric trains here.

It has been planned to initiate work on the project's first phase next year. In the initial stage, the electric train will ply between Panadura and Veyangoda.

"We will not construct new railway lines to operate electric trains but plans have been drawn to develop the existing railway lines for electric trains," the Minister said.