Railway Department General Manager B. A. P. Ariyaratne said the report is nearing completion. The committee which was appointed by the minister is chaired by retired Appeal Court judge Nimal Dissanayake and further comprises the Arthur C. Clarke Centre Director Sanath Panawella and Retired Deputy IGP Sarath Perera.

 

Meanwhile railway unions have called on the authorities to carry out an impartial investigation and to release the report without further delay. Locomotive Operating Engineers Union Spokesman K.A.U. Konthasinghe said the power sets were of low quality standards and that there were several issues pertaining to the train signal lights, break system and the vigilance system partly due to out-datedness.

 

The Alawwa train collision killed three including the train driver, the assistant train driver and a French woman while several were wounded in the accident. The incident occurred when a passenger train collided with the rear end of another train which was being towed along the rail track by another train.

 

The Transport Ministry said the damages that resulted from the train collision are estimated to be over Rs.75 million. (Olindhi Jayasundere)