Railway Transportation : Trial operation of Battery-Electric Locomotives

Myanma Railways officially launched the trial operation of Battery-Electric Locomotives (BEL) equipped with air-cooling systems on the Nay Pyi Taw–Mandalay rail section on Saturday.

The ceremony took place at Nay Pyi Taw Railway Station, attended by Union Minister for Transport and Communications U Mya Tun Oo, deputy ministers, Nay Pyi Taw Council members, officials, invited guests, and local residents.

The trial involved BEL-equipped trains No. 27 and No. 28, each consisting of five carriages, two standard, two air-cooled first-class, and one brake carriage, carrying 238 passengers. The No. 28 train departed Mandalay at 6:00 a.m. and arrived in Nay Pyi Taw at 11:00 a.m., while No. 27 departed Nay Pyi Taw at noon and reached Mandalay at 5:00 p.m.

Ticket prices range from 15,000 to 20,000 kyat for Nay Pyi Taw–Mandalay and 19,000 to 28,000 kyat for Nay Pyi Taw–Yangon. Under government guidance, Myanma Railways has been converting six diesel locomotives of 1,300 horsepower into battery-electric locomotives, using emergency funding for 2024–2025 fiscal year, with the project continuing into 2025–2026 fiscal year.