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Message: <blockquote data-quote="cvally007" data-source="post: 17434445" data-attributes="member: 130011">What happened to Econo Rail – Diesel Multiple Rail Unit accepted by the Government in November 2004?                                                                                        Sun, 2005-10-09 05:00 — admin                                                               Q Perera  - Reporting from Colombo <img src="http://www.asiantribune.com/sites/asiantribune.com/files/old/news/15812-2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />  Colombo, 09 October, (Asiantribune.com): Dr  Lawrence Perera’s name has gone down in the annals of the history of Sri  Lanka as the first man to manufacture utility motor cars in Sri Lanka  and is one who risked and took up the challenge of first local  manufacture of cars and the product - economical and affordable ‘Micro  Car’ is now fast selling in the local market and expected to export  soon.  A man with 30 years of experience in the field of transport saw that  there is an infrastructure built in since 147 years in the Sri Lanka  Government Railway without maximizing its efficiency. He said that road  transport can serve only a limited way and it would not serve the masses  of the country properly.   This reason prompted him to use his  expertise, pick up the vast technology available internationally in  designing a prototype train which can carry many people at the same time  – to establish Lanka Econo Rail Project.   As they did not have the right kind of total technology in Sri Lanka,  they have obtained technical assistance from a world renowned  manufacturer Bombardier Transportation from Denmark and also the other  company involved is ZF AG transport manufacturers from Germany for the  engine.   He said that they tied up with this company to manufacture the  first prototype train in Sri Lanka.  The system called ‘Diesel Multiple Unit System’ (DMU), where every  three carriages is powered with a medium horse power, Power Pack. It is  not one engine carrying the entire carriages and this system is ideal  for a country like Sri Lanka, as now energy is used to run 10  compartments.  He said that Sri Lanka has the highest mountains in broad  gauge and climbing up to 1,700 meters. He said that in this context the  proposed DMU is ideally suits the local conditions, which is ideal for  pushing and pulling and the weight of the train on the track would be  minimal.  DMU is very much economical and affordable for Sri Lanka as instead  of spending huge sums of money for power-sets at costs ranging from Rs  300 million for one engine.  If the DMU is turned out locally the cost  would be around Rs 50 million and also the maintenance cost would be low  and economical in value because the system is run on diesel hydraulic.  Dr Perera said that the original offer was that the Micro Cars that  it would undertake the cost of the first prototype power-pack to be  borne by them and the Railway Department could test the first train and  on satisfactory operation the payment could be made.  Dr Perera said “I  do not think that anybody in the world would have given an undertaking  to the government to bear the initial cost of the trains, but I  undertook because that I am too sure that the system works”.  On 11th November 2004 the Sri Lankan Government approved the first  Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) manufacturing project to manufacture Lanka  Econo Rail. This project was jointly designed developed and was to be  manufactured by Micro Cars Ltd and the Ceylon Government Railway (CGR).   This was revealed by Dr Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Finance on that  day at a press briefing.   The Minister went on to say that the Treasury had promised to fund  this project and hoped to commence services within nine months. He said  that this project would bring a huge saving and it was also a source of  income to the government.  Dr Perera commenting on the transport system in the country said that  it is in an utter chaotic situation, mainly because; we have not  capitalized the massive infrastructure available in the Railway  Transport network.   Econo Rail proposed that the first few prototype trains could used  the discarded under-frames which are now sold as scrap iron, which are  lying all over the railway yard at present.  Dr Perera said “We would  use three under-frames and six bogies.  If scrap iron is used the  maximum amount would be rupees one million.  There are about 30 such  under-frames available now and about 10 power-sets could be  manufactured.  He said that they have prepared full technical and  commercial proposals for these prototypes.  He said that the DMU system has penetrated to almost all parts of the  world during the last five decades where well over 9,000 such DMU power  sets are in operation now, covering all kinds of terrains with an  annual approximate distance of 300,000 to 500,000 km showing a new trend  in the rail industry which is heading towards a new era, where DMUs are  being used instead of costly conventional locomotives.  If a locomotive of 1500 HP handles a train of 10 coaches, then for  each coach approximately 150 HP is consumed from the engine power.   Instead of having the 1500 HP locomotive in front, same train could be  powered by 10 of 150 HP engines, under slung, on each coach.  When the  passenger load is less accordingly engines could be switched off.     He said that this would work as a private public joint venture.  He  said that project design was started in 2003 and the proposal was  submitted early in 2004.  The government accepted the proposal and the  Cabinet appointed a committee to handle the project.  As the whole issue of the DMU has received wide publicity, the  country would be thinking that the project is underway which could make a  tremendous impact on the present chaotic transport system in the  country. The actual situation is far from that.  In the final analysis  of the process that has taken place, it is apparent that certain  officials have sabotaged this vitally important national project and now  it has reduced to correspondence only.   Dr Perera said that as far as he know, the Cabinet paper was  misinterpreted by the Railway Department as when the Cabinet approval  was given to handle the project, it was misinterpreted in such a way as  to evaluate the project by a committee of 8 members.  He said that he  was not blaming the politicians at all as the Minister of Finance, the  Minister of Science and Technology and the Minister of Transport have  valued the project very much.  These officials have misled to the extent  that this project would not take off the ground.   Thoroughly depressed Dr Perera said that it was not a loss to Micro  Car, but the project not coming up would be a national calamity.  These  officials first came up with a theory that the project could be handled  by the Railway Department. The original estimated cost was Rs 40  million, but it went up to Rs 50 million.  These officials pointed out  that the railway department could do it at a cheaper rate.  But after  their evaluations, the cost exceeded more than Rs 50 million.   Dr Perera said that only on 19th January 2005, Micro Car received a  communication from the Ministry of Finance which is a copy of a letter  addressed to the Chairman, National Procurement Agency (NPA) indicating  that Ministry of Finance has encouraged Micro Cars Ltd to enter the  field of production of cars and Econo Rail, since it is a local company  making use of local expertise.  The Minister of Finance has drawn the attention of the NPA to the  fact that there was a study on purchasing 100 new carriages and diesel  locomotives from China and said that there was a fear that such a study  would exclude the possibility of Lanka Econo Rail from participating in  the development of the railway system.  The letter which was under the Minister’s own signature indicated  that the Econo Rail could be accommodated in the area of commuter  transport as Lanka Econo Rail seems to be a very promising development  regarding rapid transportation of urban travelers. The Minister  therefore has urged the NPA to integrate the proposals of the Micro Cars  with whatever recommendations the NPA makes regarding the Chinese  proposals.  On 14th July Micro Cars have addressed a letter to Minister of  Transport Felix Perera drawing his attention to the proposal submitted  by Micro Cars on the Lanka Econo Rail Project a year ago.  In response  to this letter, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport wrote back to  Micro Cars by his letter dated 30/6/2005 indicating the matter was  referred to the NPA for evaluation.  The entire matter is now on hold  with a reply by NPA indicating that it has submitted a report.    Several pioneering manufacturers who risked large investments has  said that though it was the bounden responsibility of the government to  assist them, while not only the government agencies failed to provide  any assistance, there had been occasions that some of these agencies  were really sabotaging and tried to prevent such ventures.  It is high time that the country must identify and weed them out as  their continuance would make serious further damage to the development  process of the country. - Asian Tribune -</blockquote>

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