From Polonnaruwa to Baticaloa | Udaya Devi With Class M2c 626 Montreal (EMD G12)

From Polonnaruwa to Baticaloa | Udaya Devi With Class M2c 626 Montreal (EMD G12)

Sri Lanka Train Journey
Udaya Devi Express Train
Polonnaruwa to Baticaloa
Class M2c 626 Montreal
Class M2 Locomotive
EMD G12 Locomotives
Sri Lanka Railways

#Udaya Devi Express Train

Udaya Devi (Sinhala: උදය දේවි) is an Express train that runs between Colombo Fort and Batticaloa in Sri Lanka. Batticaloa-bound train departs from Colomobo at 6.05 a.m. while Colombo-bound train departs from Batticaloa at 6.10 a.m.

#Class M2 Locomotive | EMD G12

The Sri Lanka Railways Class M2 is a class of diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1954 by General Motors Diesel, Canada, and Electro-Motive Division, USA. This is considered one of the most successful locomotives in Sri Lanka.

It is a General Motors Diesel (Canada) EMD G12 model using the EMD 567C, 1,425-horsepower (1,063 kW) engine.

From 1954, several batches of General Motors-manufactured locomotives were imported to Sri Lanka under "The Colombo Plan". Locally called a "Canadian" engine – there are actually two classes of Canadian engine in SLR – the other one is Class M4. Since these engine were imported under grants from the Canadian government, class M2 locomotives are named with Canadian province and city names. The last two locomotives were made in the United States and imported for Cement Corporation, Sri Lanka. But they were later attached to Sri Lanka Railways locomotive fleet. They were named after two local cities – Galle and Kankasanthurei – where the cement factories were located.

The class entered service in January 1955. "Ruhunu Kumari" Train started using M2 572 " British Columbia" 24 October 1955, the first long distance luxury passenger train service in Sri Lanka. same loco hauled the first "Udarata Manike" Colombo Badulla train on 23 April 1956 and same day started "Yal davi" hauled by M2 569 "ontario", in the far north of the country. This have been used on both passenger and freight trains on Sri Lanka's railways for over 50 years. Despite the introduction of more modern types of traction, as of 2013 a significant number are still in use.

Accidents & Incidents:
Number 571 Saskatchewan was destroyed by a land mine in 1985.
Number 570 Alberta hauled the last Yal Devi train to Kankasanthurei in June 1989. When the war began in the north it was trapped there, but in 1997 Alberta was dismantled and shipped south to Colombo where it was reassembled. Alberta was seriously damaged in an accident at Pothuhera, but has been repaired.
Number 591 Manitoba was damaged on 26 December 2004 when pulling the Matara Express and was hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Now in use after restoration. This was repainted depicting a sea wave on its livery.
Number 628 Kankasanthurai was badly damaged by a land mine, but was rebuilt.

Manampitiya Bridge

Manampitiya Bridge is the second longest bridge in Sri Lanka with a length of 302 metres. It comprises 2 bridges, an early-twentieth-century steel bridge which is used for railway and a newly built bridge carrying 2 lanes of highway. Before the Kinniya Bridge was declared open in 2009, it was the longest bridge in Sri Lanka. The steel bridge was built in 1922, during the colonial rule. It is 291 metres long and less than 5 metres in width. Bridge is located 81 kilometres east of Maradankadawala, along the A11 Habarana-Thirikondiyadimadu road in Polonnaruwa District, linking North Central Province with Eastern Province over Mahaweli River. The new bridge in Manampitiya was built with financial assistance of Japan, hence the name Sri Lanka-Japan Friendship Peace Bridge. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided LKR 1.3 billion on behalf of the Japanese government. Bridge was declared open on 25 October 2007 by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The new 50 Sri Lankan Rupee note depicts the Manampitiya Bridge.

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