Locomotives of Sri Lanka Railways

The first locomotives pulled trains on the original segment of the Main Line, on 54 kilometres (34 miles) connecting Colombo and Ambepussa.

It was one of seven 4-4-0 locomotives built that year for the Ceylon Government Railway by Robert Stephenson & Company (Nos.

All the steam locomotives but three were manufactured in the United Kingdom; the exceptions were three 4-4-0s built at the railway's Maradana Works near Colombo in 1900 and 1905.

Sub-classification was based on weight, modifications, heating type, boiler capacity, or other features.

Since then, the Railways have imported locomotives from Canada, Japan, West Germany, India, France, and China[6][7][8] In the 1990s, Sri Lanka Railways converted the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge Kelani Valley line into 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge.

As of March 2022, Sri Lanka does not have commercially operational electric locomotives or train sets.

Also common for many locomotives is a livery of horizontal bands of green, brown, and a yellow stripe.

Diesel locomotives and multiple unit numbering started from 500 – an Armstrong Whitworth 122 hp 0-4-0 diesel-electric shunter delivered in 1934[12] – and reached 840 in 1991.