Transport in Sri Lanka is based on its road network, which is centred on the country's commercial capital Colombo. A rail network handles a portion of Sri Lanka's transport needs. There are navigable waterways, harbours and three international airports: in Katunayake, 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Colombo, in Hambantota, and in Jaffna.
The Sri Lanka Railway Department is Sri Lanka's railway owner and primary operator. As part of the Sri Lankan government, it is overseen by the Ministry of Transport. Founded in 1858 as the Ceylon Government Railway, it operates the nation's railways and links Colombo with other population centres and tourist destinations.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, 2-4-0+0-4-2 is an articulated locomotive, usually of the Garratt type. The wheel arrangement is effectively two 2-4-0 locomotives operating back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between the two power units. Each power unit has two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles and no trailing wheels. A similar wheel arrangement exists for Mallet locomotives, but is referred to as 2-4-4-2 since only the front engine unit can pivot.
Udarata Menike is a daytime passenger train operated by the Sri Lanka Railways that runs between Colombo and Badulla in the Highlands. Introduced in 1956, it is one of the first Named-passenger trains and one of the most popular trains among tourists and even among railfans in Sri Lanka.
The Kelani Valley railway line in Sri Lanka, covering the breadth of Colombo District. The line is owned, maintained, and operated by Sri Lanka Railways.
Wilfred Senanayake was a Sri Lankan politician who served as member of Parliament for Homagama.
Locomotives and train sets of Sri Lanka Railways consist mostly of diesel locomotives and multiple units. Steam locomotives are no longer used, except on heritage trains such as the Viceroy Special.
The CGR Class H1 was a 2-4-0+0-4-2T Garratt steam locomotive built by Beyer, Peacock & Company, England for the Ceylon Government Railway (CGR), now Sri Lanka Railways. Only one locomotive of this type was built, and its CGR plate number was 293.
"Podi Manike" is a Sri Lankan passenger train running from Colombo Fort to Badulla. This journey covers about 300 km and is renowned for being the most beautiful train journey in Sri Lanka, especially the stretch from Nanuoya to Ella. It takes about 10 hours to complete the journey.
Sri Lanka Railways S11 is a class of Diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) train set built for Sri Lanka Railways by Integral Coach Factory, India and imported through RITES Ltd, an Indian state infrastructure corporation on a line of credit extended by the Indian Government. They were built to replace locomotive-hauled passenger trains. Twenty S11 DEMUs were ordered to strengthen long-distance travel on the Coastal Line from Colombo to Matara.
Maradana Railway Station is a major rail hub in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The station is served by Sri Lanka Railways, with many inter-city and commuter trains entering each day. It is the terminus of several intercity trains.
The Main Line is a major railway line in the rail network of Sri Lanka and considered by many to be one of the most scenic train journeys in all of Asia. The line begins at Colombo Fort and winds through the Sri Lankan hill country to reach Badulla.
The Sri Lanka Railways Class M2 is a class of Diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in 1954 by General Motors Diesel, Canada, and Electro-Motive Division, US for the use in Sri Lanka Railways. This is considered as one of the most successful locomotives in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Railways Class M8 is a class of Sri Lankan diesel-electric locomotive that was developed by Banaras Locomotive Works at Varanasi, India, in 1996. This class of locomotives was fitted with 2,800 hp (2,100 kW) V16 power units. This is used on both passenger and freight trains on Sri Lanka Railways.
The coastal line is a major railway line in Sri Lanka, running between Colombo Fort and Beliatta, via Galle and Matara. Operated by Sri Lanka Railways, the line includes some of the busiest rail services in the country. The line has been extended to Beliatta on 8 April 2019 and is proposed to be extended to Kataragama, via Hambantota. With a designed maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) between Kalutara and Matara, and a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) between Matara and Beliatta, the line is one of the fastest in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Railways S8 is a class of Diesel multiple unit (DMU) train set made by Hitachi and Hyundai operated by Sri Lanka Railways. They were imported to Sri Lanka in 1991 and primarily runs on the Kelani Valley Line.
Sri Lanka Railways S10 is a class of Diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) train set built for Sri Lanka Railways by China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation and imported in 2008. Fifteen S10 DEMUs were ordered to strengthen commuter services on crucial commuter lines.
Sri Lanka Railways S9 is a class of diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) train sets operated by Sri Lanka's state run rail operator, Sri Lanka Railways.
Sri Lanka Railways S5 is a class of Diesel multiple unit (DMU) train set built by Hitachi and introduced to Sri Lanka between 1969 and 1970, only two of which were imported. The class was built with modern interior facilities aimed towards the special train tours market and is operated by Sri Lanka Railways.
Class M11 is a mainline diesel-electric locomotive built by Banaras Locomotive Works, India, for use on Sri Lanka Railways and first delivered in 2018. This locomotive, clearly with its look, was developed from the WDG-4D locomotive of the Indian Railways, which is originally of 4500 hp, as it uses a 16-cylinder variant of the EMD 710 prime mover. The HP was derated to 3000 hp using a 12-cylinder variant of the same engine, making it look and sound similar to British/European Railways' popular Class 66 locomotive, but with AC-AC traction.
