Sri Lanka plans to begin electric train services on three Colombo suburban lines by early 2027 under the Colombo Suburban Railway Project, Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena said on Tuesday.
Discussions on the rollout were held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and officials of the Ministry of Transport and Highways, with the meeting focused on the project’s first phase.
Electric services are planned for three commuter corridors:
- Kelani Valley line: Maradana to Makumbura
- Main line: Colombo Fort to Ragama
- Coastal line: Colombo Fort to Panadura
Officials reviewed financial arrangements and implementation challenges. Existing diesel services will continue operating in parallel with the new electric trains, while railway tracks on the targeted corridors will be upgraded from the current broad gauge to standard gauge, the Deputy Minister said.
The Colombo Suburban Railway Project is one of the country’s largest urban transport modernisation programmes, aimed at easing road congestion in Greater Colombo by shifting commuters to higher-frequency rail services. The Kelani Valley extension to Maradana railway station, currently undergoing renovation, is the most heavily used route into the city centre, alongside the Main and Coastal corridors.
The early-2027 timeline marks the first concrete commencement date announced for the project’s electrification phase, with the gauge conversion forming the technical pre-requisite for the new rolling stock.
