Sri Lanka Railways S8

Sri Lanka Railways S8
Manufacturer	Hyundai (Korea), Hitachi
Replaced	Class S6, S7
Entered service	1991[1]
Number built	20[1]
Formation	4 Passenger Compartments, including control unit, Engine Unit[2]
Fleet numbers	821 ~ 840
Operator(s)	Sri Lanka Railways
Depot(s)	Power Coaches Shed
Line(s) served	Main Line Kelani Valley Line Puttalam Line Coast Line
Specifications
Car length	65 ft (19.81 m)
Maximum speed	88 km/h (55 mph)
Weight	70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons)
Prime mover(s)	MTU 12V396TCI13[3]
Engine type	V12 diesel
Power output	1,430 hp (1,070 kW)
Transmission	Diesel-Hydraulic
Braking system(s)	Air
Coupling system	Automatic (dual)
Multiple working	Yes
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)

Class S8 is a Diesel multiple unit (DMU) made by Hitachi and Hyundai, operated by Sri Lanka Railways. It was imported to Sri Lanka in 1991 and, according to the website Sri Lanka Railways Info Page, is "the best diesel multiple unit ever imported to Sri Lanka".^[4]

History

This was introduced after 12 years which the last DMU, S7 was imported. 20 train-sets were ordered in order to strengthen the DMU fleet of SLR.

Operation

Due to high power of the engine, this has a higher acceleration rate and also this DMUs can be used for multiple unit working. Multiple S8 units are used in peak hours. These are mostly used in short distance services. And also majority of services in Kelani Valley Line is carried out by this DMUs. Operation lines are;

• Colombo Fort to Rambukkana via Polgahawela.
• Colombo Fort to Awissawella on Kelani Valley Line.
• Colombo Fort to Puttalam.
• Colombo Fort to Aluthgama on Coast Line.

Passenger accommodation

It has four passenger compartments, including dummy control unit. There are no vestibules between the compartments, giving it better ability to run through sharp curves, such as those on the Kelani Valley Line.

Service

Almost all units are in service, as none have been withdrawn, but the class has faced many accidents.^[1]

Incidents

In 1991, a service train and a S8 DMU collided together, and the Dummy Unit of DMU was destroyed. In 1998 due to a derailment another Dummy Unit of a S8 DMU was destroyed^[5]

References

1. "Class S8". Sri Lanka Railways Info Page. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
2. http://slrailinfo.wordpress.com/locomotives/class-s/class-s8/
3. "Class S8". SL Rail Wiki. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
4. "Class S8 | Sri Lanka Railways Info Page". Slrailinfo.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
5. http://locolanka.blogspot.com/2011/11/s8.html