Sri Lanka Railways class S8 diesel multiple unit. These were built by Hitachi and Huyndai. Each train consists of one power wagon,
three passenger coaches and a driver's cab steering wagon. The trains have MTU V12 396TC13 engines, which are really powerful and give them a high acceleration rate. Sri Lanka Railways got 20 of them in 1991. They are used mostly in short distance services. Note that the "power car" is for most parts a classical locomotive, but also has a short passenger compartment at the end of it.
Picture 19.2.2024 from Colombo Fort by Veikko Valavuo.

The same class S8 diesel multiple unit as shown above, but now we see the side of the "power car".
Picture 19.2.2024 from Colombo Fort by Veikko Valavuo.

Sri Lanka Railways class S13 diesel multiple unit forming a train from Hikkaduwa to Colombo. These S13 trains have been manufactured by Integral Coach Factory ICF in Chennai in China. Similar trains are also used in India. They were built 2017-2019. Each S13 unit is motorised with a Cummins diesel engine producing 1800 hp of power. Top speed of these trains is 120 km/h.
Picture 18.2.2024 from Hikkaduwa by Veikko Valavuo.

Sri Lanka Railways class S12 diesel multiple unit. The locomotives of these trains have just one driver's cab. They were delivered 2012 and have a power rating of 2000 horsepowers. They were built by CSR, China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation Limited.
Picture 19.2.2024 from Kandy by Veikko Valavuo.

The "nine arch bridge" is a world famous tourist attraction in Demodara on the rail line Kandy - Ella. Trains stop on the bridge long enough so that tourists and other passengers can get out to enjoy the view over a tropical jungle from this bridge which is 91 meters long and 7,6 meters wide. It runs over 24 meters above the ground. It was built by the British colonialists in 1921.
This huge class S14 locomotive is one of Sri Lanka's newest. These vere delivered by the Chinese CRRC Qingdao Sifang in 2019-2020. It's a double locomotive, 2x 4 axles, with a power rating of 1950 horsepowers.
Picture by Matti Paavola 19.2.2024.

Sri Lanka Railways class M8 diesel engine leading a passenger train into the station of Hikkaduwa in Sri Lanka.
The railways of Sri Lanka are of British origin. Main lines are 1676 mm broad gauge and most locomotives are diesels. This is a class M8 diesel electric machine, built by the Diesel Locomotive Works at Varanasi, India since 1995. It weighs 112,8 tons, has a maximum speed of 120 km/h and has a power rating of 2100 kW. Picture 6.2.2013 in Hikkaduwa by Heikki Hemmilä.

A class M7 diesel engine of Sri Lanka Railways SLR with three old coaches is here approaching a level crossing by a small station near Hikkaduwa. The class M7 is a diesel electric machine built by Brush Traction in the UK and imported into Sri Lanka in 1981. 16 machines were built. The machine weighs 66 tons, has a top speed of 80 km/h and a very modest power rating of only 741 kW. Its engine is a GM 8-645E from General Electrics. They are mostly used in short distance passenger services, such as here.
Picture 21.5.2015 near Hikkaduwa by Heikki Hemmilä.

Same train as above, here passing a small level crossing.
Picture 21.5.2015 near Hikkaduwa by Heikki Hemmilä.

A similar class M7 locomotive pulling a longer passenger train.
Picture 19.2.2024 from Hikkaduwa by Matti Paavola.

Passengers from Colombo to Hikkaduwa are leaving the train at Hikkaduwa station. This is the same train as shown above.
Picture 19.2.2024 from Hikkaduwa by Matti Paavola.

Passenger coaches of the same train as shown above. This more comfortable coach which was also less crowded was marked as "for clergy".
Picture 19.2.2024 from Hikkaduwa by Matti Paavola.

A similar but shorter local train with a class M7 locomotive is here approaching Hikkaduwa station.
Picture 19.2.2024 from Hikkaduwa by Matti Paavola.

The same train as above. All coaches were marked as 3rd class.
Picture 19.2.2024 from Hikkaduwa by Matti Paavola.

Inside a Sri Lankan short distance train. The doors are always open because of the heat. Most Sri Lankan passenger coaches are built in India, but some of the newer ones come from China. This is still one of the old ones.
Picture by Heikki Hemmilä 21.5.2015 from a train leaving Hikkaduwa.

Same train as in the picture above. Sleepy passengers are snoozing in the hot train.
Picture by Heikki Hemmilä 21.5.2015 from a train leaving Hikkaduwa.

Sri Lanka Railways class S9 diesel multiple units waiting at the Colombo Fort station. These fairly modern DMUs were built by the China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation already in 1991, but they entered service only in year 2000. 15 sets were delivered. It is a six coach formation, where two coaches are powered. Top speed is 100 km/h and they have MTU 12V396TC14 V12 type engines producing 1180 kW of power per train. The system is diesel-electric.
Picture at Colombo Fort station by Heikki Hemmilä 7.2.2013.

Front part of another class S9 diesel multiple unit.
Picture at Colombo Fort station by Heikki Hemmilä 7.2.2013.

Rush hour in Colombo.
Picture from Colombo Fort station by Heikki Hemmilä 7.2.2013.

A typical Sri Lankan third class coach, used in short distance trains around Colombo. These coaches are built in India.
Picture at Colombo Fort station by Heikki Hemmilä 7.2.2013.

The class M5 locomotive was originally built by Hitachi and they date back to 1979. As part of a major modernisation project Sri Lanka Railways modernised a few M5s by installing totally new diesel engines. This one is classed as M5C which means that this machine has received a totally new Caterpillar engine making it a 1600 horsepower machine. The machine weighs 66 tons and runs on four axles (BoBo). Top speed is 97 km/h.
Photo from Hikkaduwa station 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

Another view of the same M5C locomotive as in the picture above.
Photo from Hikkaduwa station 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

Inside view of a Sri Lankan commuter train. This train was pulled by the same M5 locomotive shown in pictures above.
Photo from a train running from Galle to Colombo 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

Outside view of the same coaches as in the picture above.
Photo from a train running from Galle to Colombo 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

Same train as above, here stopping at Kalutara south station.
Photo from a train running from Galle to Colombo 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

Same train as above, seen from above. Sri Lankan commuter trains can be really long.
Photo from a train running from Galle to Colombo at Kalutara south 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

Still another picture of the same train.
Photo from a train running from Galle to Colombo at Kalutara south 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

Train tracks near Hanwella. The common gauge width in Sri Lanka is 1676 mm.
Picture 15.2.2018 by Heikki Hemmilä.

This class M1 no.560 was the country's first mainline diesel locomotive. We see it here rusting away by the side of a building that hosts Sri Lanka's national railways museum. These machines were built by Brush Bagnall Traction in Britain and this first one was built in 1952. It had a 1000 hp V12 4-stroke diesel engine. Ceylon Government railways (not yet Sri Lanka railways) had 25 of these machines. The last ones were taken out of use in 1983.
Picture from Kadugannawa (also known as Kaduwannawa or Kadugananwa) 19.2.2024 by Veikko Valavuo.