A ceremony to inaugurate the launch of a battery electric locomotive with air-conditioned carriages on the Nay Pyi Taw–Mandalay railway section was held yesterday morning at Platform No 1 of the Nay Pyi Taw Railway Station.
It was attended by Union Minister for Transport and Communications U Mya Tun Oo, deputy ministers, Nay Pyi Taw Council members, Nay Pyi Taw Development Committee vice chairman, vice mayor, departmental officials, managing director and staff of Myanma Railways, invitees and locals.
After the opening speech of Union Minister U Mya Tun Oo, the managing director of the Myanma Railways briefed on the plans to run the battery electric locomotive with air-conditioned coaches on the Nay Pyi Taw-Mandalay railway route.
The managing director presented gifts to the Union minister, and the Union minister and party cut the ceremonial ribbon to launch the event.
The Union minister presented cash prizes to the students, Shan Ozi and Dobet troupes, and gave presents to the passengers who took the train, and the Union Minister and party also took the same train.
Similarly, another ceremony to inaugurate the launch of No 28 Down battery electric locomotive with air-conditioned coaches on Platform No 1 of Mandalay Railway Station was held, and Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Myo Aung, Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications U Aung Myaing and relevant officials attended the event.
After the ceremonial procedures, the chief minister and party greeted and gave presents to the passengers. The No 28 Down train arrived at Nay Pyi Taw railway station at 11 am, and the Union minister and party welcomed the passengers warmly.
The No 27 Up and No 28 Down trains respectively contain two ordinary coaches, two air-conditioned upper coaches, one break coach, totalling five, and can accommodate 238 passengers. No 28 down train will leave Mandalay at 6 am and arrive in Nay Pyi Taw at 11 am, whereas No 27 up train leaves Nay Pyi Taw at 12 noon and arrives in Mandalay at 5 pm. Those who want to go to Yangon from Mandalay can take the Nay Pyi Taw-Yangon No 8 Down DEMU train that leaves at 12 noon from Nay Pyi Taw, and those who take the No 31 DEMU up train that leaves Yangon at 6 am can take the No 27 Up train to Mandalay.
The ticket prices for No 27 Up and No 28 Down trains are K15,000 per person for ordinary class and K20,000 for upper class, whereas Nay Pyi Taw-Yangon trains No 7 Up and No 8 Down DEMU and No 31 Up and No 32 Down DEMU trains are K19,000 for first class and K28,000 for upper class. The passenger can buy a Yangon-Mandalay and Mandalay-Yangon ticket, and the prices are K34,000 for first class and K48,000 for upper class.
According to the guidance of the Head of State, the Myanma Railways has been granted permission to convert six diesel-electric locomotives with 1,300 horsepower units into battery electric locomotives (Battery Electric Locomotives – BELs) using the emergency fund of the 2024-2025 financial year. These locomotives were converted at the New Locomotive Assembling Factory (Nay Pyi Taw), and plans are underway for another six diesel-electric locomotives to change into six BELs in the 2025-2026 financial year.
MNA/KTZH
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