Nearly half of Sri Lanka’s Railway journeys delayed in 2024

• There are 439 unsafe railway crossings across Sri Lanka
• 660 train derailments in five years

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   

The audit of the Department of Sri Lanka Railways for 2024 revealed that 49 per cent of train journeys (58,693 trains) were delayed last year, highlighting serious issues in the punctuality of train operations.    

Of the 125,036 planned journeys last year, including intercity, express, mixed, passenger, freight trains, and rail-buses, only 119,731 were operated, and just 61,038 trains ran on time. In addition, 5,305 trains or 4.2 per cent of scheduled journeys, were cancelled.   

The Accounting Officer attributed these delays and cancellations to multiple factors, including the failure to recruit train drivers and technical staff, delays in repairing worn-out locomotives, ageing engine wagons and power sets, delays in modernization at the Ratmalana factory, late delivery of rails, imposed speed limits, restricted travel times due to road works, and adverse weather conditions.  

 However, the audit recommended that urgent steps be taken to identify causes of delays and cancellations, implement effective solutions, and ensure trains operate on schedule.   

Meanwhile, the audit has also revealed that of the 1,362 major and minor level crossings across the railway network, 439 crossings remain in an unsafe condition, including 200 manually operated gates, posing significant risks to commuters and railway operations.   

During the five years from 2020 to 2024, 385 accidents occurred at these unsafe crossings, resulting in 37 deaths and 105 injuries, largely due to inadequate safety measures and poor implementation of existing protections. It was revealed that of the total crossings, 185 are private, while 1,177 are maintained by the Railway Department, including 300 with railway gates and 438 equipped with railway signals.   

The Railway Department said that temporary measures, such as warning signs, speed limits, and alerts from railway stations, have been implemented at many of the unsafe crossings. The audit recommended that immediate safety measures be taken at all unsafe railway crossings to prevent further accidents and protect lives.   

In another revelation by the audit, it was revealed that between 2020 and 2024, there were 660 train derailments, 585 breakdowns, and 13 collisions.   

Despite 572 accidents occurring during this period, investigations have not been completed even after one to four years, contrary to requirements under Financial Regulation 104.   

For the 88 accidents where investigations were completed, the estimated loss amounted to Rs. 20,456,009.  In response, the department said that delays in preliminary investigations were due to a high number of vacancies among investigation officers in the Transport Sub-Department.   

The audit recommended that urgent steps be taken to comply with financial regulations regarding accident investigations and the recovery of damages.