Sri Lanka Railways: SLR A Classic Example of Backward Travel and Negative Contribution towards National Transport Demands

 

The above heading is not new to Sri Lankan commuters, and the general public is well aware of Sri Lanka Railways’ activities that negatively impact national demands; who are not aware is the section who are supposed to harness the negatively impacting Government Department (if not inducting SLR into an integrated National development contributor) the governing system. They are either ignorant of the facts or ill-informed of the current situation, worsening it into a colossal burden to the government coffers.  

Sri Lanka Railways is burdened with one of the highest numbers of Trade Unions, with the trade unions outnumbering the locomotives available for commuting and goods transport. Here lies the core of the negative impact issues.  

The historical Northern Railway Commuter service, which had been said to be the highest revenue earner for the Sri Lanka Railways, without any doubt with some profit as well, has been virtually annihilated after suspending for the reasons such as repairs/replacing railway tracks, these reasons becomes too flimsy due to the prolonged time taken to complete and sabotaging signal system, while repairing- and is clear SLR management including the ministers in charge working for the self-interests rather than for convenient public commuter service. Here, the suspicion arises as to whether Sri Lanka Railways is collaborating with huge profit-seeking Private Bus Companies, each owning more than half a dozen luxury buses, and wanted each bus to fill their full quota of seats.

Until July 2022, when Northern Railway operations were 1st stopped, all trains to the Northern Line commenced from Mount Lavenia (Gal Kissa), and some trains finished the journey at Mount Lavenia. All those trains that started and finished the journey at Mount Lavenia (Gal Kissa) were very popular among the population living between Moratuwa and Colombo Fort as they eased the traffic pressure travelling to Colombo Fort, and Moratuwa did a splendid service in commutating. I reliably understand that some trade unions strongly opposed the northern operations starting from Mount Lavenia; this is where the insubstantial reasoning of Track Relaying emerges, which was newly laid in on the completion of war. With that, Sri Lanka Railways lost its revenue and contribution towards reducing the pressure on road traffic congestions, especially in the western province.   

It has also been eagerly noted that railway schedules and timetables were prepared to unpopularize and to push the Passengers for alternatives. One such example was before the first suspension in July 2022 for a period spanning for months, an intercity train starting the journey as early as 03.55 AM from Kankesanthurai (KKS), never intended for catering the service to the peninsula people, but may be a convenient travel for commuters beyond Kilinochchi towards south, this intercity halted its journey at Colombo Fort another setback.  

This scheduling was made to portray that the Jaffna commuter train service is unpopular and to cater to the other mode of transport. At present, two trail services, which were initiated by the ill-informed newly appointed minister, operating from KKS to Colombo Fort and from Colombo Fort to KKS, portrayed as utter failure by all standards, clearly Sri Lanka Railways never considered the commuting the commuters living around Koll-pity to Moratuwa. Unless Sri Lanka Railways commences all northern trains, including the Mail Train from Mount Lavenia and at least two trains up to Mount Lavenia (a status before the first suspension in July 2022), Sri Lanka Railways can take measures to close down all the Railway Stations and save the government coffers sooner or later.

Station	Departure Time	Station	Departure Time
Mount Lavinia	05:10	Kankesanthurai	13:15
Dehiwala	05:14	Chunnakam	13:23
Wellawatta	05:22	Kondavil	13:28
Bambalapitiya	05:27	Jaffna	13:45
Colombo Fort	05:45	Kodikamam	14:02
Polgahawela	07:00	Kilinochchi	14:38
Kurunegala	07:25	Vavuniya	15:36
Anuradhapura	09:17	Anuradhapura	16:32
Vavuniya	10:06	Kurunegala	18:23
Kilinochchi	11:01	Polgahawela	18:48
Kodikamam	11:32	Maradana	19:56
Jaffna	12:00	Colombo Fort	20:05
Kondavil	12:05	Bambalapitiya	20:14
Chunnakam	12:10	Wellawatta	20:23
Kankesanthurai	12:17

 

Why were there were 2 suspensions within a space of less than 2 years for prolonged time? Doesn’t it appear as a move for permanent sabotage? Why are these prolonged suspensions only for the Northern Line?  Isn’t it an ignorance born out of racism because Northern Railways serves chiefly Tamils of Colombo Galle Road Adjacent areas and Northern province?  

As long as Sri Lanka Railways dances to the tune of Trade Unions and the Ministers’ shortsighted ambitions, it cannot contribute positively to the National Integrated Development demand.     

  Can the dawning Sinhala and Tamil New Year enlighten the Sri Lanka Railway Authorities on wasting resources of the Northern Railway System maintained wastefully and induct serving the commuters as of before the first suspension 2022 July?