Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel
A video of a modern electric locomotive being unloaded at a port has gone viral on social media, with many users hailing it as evidence of Sri Lanka’s new infrastructure development. The footage seemed convincing enough at first glance. However, the video had no specific date or location, and no stated purpose. We investigated what the video actually shows and whether any such import took place.
Social media posts:
The same video further went viral:
facebook instagram
Several social media users shared positive reactions to the clip, interpreting it as authentic.
The video did not include the date of import, occasion, vehicle identification, or stated purpose. We decided to find out if this is a real event and if such a project actually exists.
Fact check:
The locomotive in the video has the Russian Railways emblem and a Russian serial number.
If you look closely, the locomotive in the video has the official Russian Railways emblem clearly visible on the front bonnet.
The serial number SAT210-580 identifies it as a Russian EP2K class electric mainline passenger locomotive manufactured at the Kolomna Locomotive Plant. This is a 3 kV DC engine specifically designed for the broad gauge (1,520mm) railway network in Russia and its surrounding areas.
Sri Lanka does not have the infrastructure for this type of locomotive
Sri Lanka’s railway network currently operates entirely on diesel locomotives, M class and S class. The overhead electrification infrastructure required for 3 kV DC electric passenger trains is not operational anywhere in the country. Russia’s broad gauge electric locomotives do not have compatible tracks to run on in Sri Lanka.
No such imports have taken place
Video suggested the locomotive had recently been unloaded at a local port, so we investigated. Such an import would have represented a fundamental change in Sri Lanka’s railway system and would have been reported by mainstream media and confirmed by official sources. Our research did not find any reports or records of such imports.
Visual analysis: Video contains clear AI-generated artifacts
A closer look at the circulating videos reveals several unnatural characteristics.
• Crowd proximity: It is unusual to see people standing so close together as a huge locomotive is unloaded at a port.
• Shape instability: As the video plays, the front and wheel shapes of certain vehicles change subtly and suddenly.
• Background distortion: Cranes, containers, and buildings display non-linear geometric lines that distort and blend unnaturally as the video progresses.
• Object disappears: Frame by frame, objects including the back of the vehicle and background people disappear or transform without explanation.
Given these technical and visual anomalies, it was clear that the footage was not filmed in a real port. We ran this video through some AI detection tools and confirmed that it was generated by AI and not real footage.
The Ministry of Transport confirms that no imports have taken place.
We contacted Media Secretary and Coordination Secretary Prasanna Gunasena, Deputy Minister of Transport. He confirmed that the viral video was not genuine and that no such electric locomotives were imported.
We also asked if any imports were planned. The Ministry of Transport has announced that no electric locomotives will be imported this year. Plans are currently being drawn up, and track-laying work is scheduled to begin in 2027, and only after that is complete will importing locomotives be considered.
Sri Lanka-Russia Railway Memorandum: What was actually signed
Sri Lanka has signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia on the modernization of railway services. The agreement between the Sri Lankan government and Russia, aimed at improving technological standards and expanding investment cooperation, was signed on the sidelines of the 17th International Economic Forum held in Kazan, Russia, on May 19, 2026. It was signed on behalf of Sri Lanka by Transport Minister Bimal Ratnayake, and on behalf of Russia by Russian Deputy Transport Minister Dmitry Zverev. See here, here, and here for more information.
Colombo Suburban Railway Electrification and Modernization Project
The government has decided to begin the initial phase of electrification and modernization of the Colombo suburban rail network in a phased manner from 2027. The goal is to transform the currently diesel-powered local rail service into a state-of-the-art electrical multiple unit (EMU) system. The plan, submitted by the Ministry of Transport, recently received formal cabinet approval. In the first stage, the following three lines are scheduled to be electrified.
Main line: Colombo Fort to Ragama (existing double track will be expanded to 4 lanes, 4 lanes will be dedicated to trains).
Coastline: From Colombo Fort to Panadura.
Kelani Valley Line: From Maradana to Makumbura.
These lines will eventually be integrated into a comprehensive suburban rail loop surrounding Colombo. For additional details, see here, here, and here.
If you would like to learn more about fact-checking research, please join us.
facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google News | TikTok
Conclusion:
Our investigation confirms that a video purporting to show an electric locomotive being unloaded at a port in Sri Lanka is not real footage and was generated by AI. The locomotive seen in the video is a Russian EP2K class engine designed for the Russian broad gauge railway network, and Sri Lanka does not have compatible infrastructure. The Ministry of Transport confirmed that no such imports had taken place.
Sri Lanka’s railway electrification project is real. Cabinet approval has been given to electrify the Colombo suburban railway network from 2027, and a memorandum of understanding on railway cooperation has been signed with Russia. However, no electric locomotives will be imported this year.
title: Russian trains, Sri Lanka’s actual electrification plan, and an AI video that mixes them together.
author: BP Hansani
result: error
