SL Railways huffs and puffs through logistic issues

Apart from the vacancies that exist in the Railways, there are technical problems that add to the miseries of the Sri Lanka Railways

Meanwhile it is also reported that there are more than 1200 railway crossings that cannot provide adequate safety measures

More than 30 engine drivers stayed away from work recently and applied for sick leave last month

By Manjula D. Phillips

It is reported that there are over 200 vacancies for engine drivers at Sri Lanka Railways at present.The issue has been identified as one of the main reasons for train delays and cancellations of trains. This issue with Sri Lanka Railways has left passengers in dismay.

Sources reveal that 136 vacancies for Train Guards also exist.

In addition there are over 400 vacancies for Station Masters across train stations in the island.

Apart from the vacancies that exist in the Railways, there are technical problems that add to the miseries of the Sri Lanka Railways. The most recent issue was when the Sri Lanka Railway Locomotive Operating Engineers Union announced last Friday (June 6) that it would withdraw from operating trains on the coastal railway line on Friday itself. The reason for their grievance was the signal system on the coastal railway line being out of order. They had voiced their grievances citing the unsafe situation for both passengers and railways staff. They maintained that this was a longstanding problem. The Sri Lanka Railway Locomotive Operating Engineers Union later temporarily suspended the strike after a discussion they had with the General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways which produced a positive outcome. 

Railway authorities have since long complained that facilities supporting the movement of trains must be upgraded

Meanwhile it is also reported that there are more than 1200 railway crossings that cannot provide adequate safety measures. Critics and commuters by train point out that this is the main reason for the recurring railway accidents across the country over past few years.

Sri Lanka Railways is close to the hearts of Sri Lankans. The majority of people in Sri Lanka are used to travelling on trains. This is because it’s financially beneficial to them. Hundreds of people, especially employees of both the government and private sector arrive in Colombo on a daily basis using trains. Many use boarding passes which are known as the ‘monthly season’ pass. Prior to the financial crisis in the country and even afterwards, it has always been proven that it is advantageous to travel in trains in comparison to buses. 

Train commuters have high hopes that Sri Lanka Railways will raise their standards and provide a quality service to the public. 

More than 30 engine drivers stayed away from work recently and applied for sick leave last month. This was a strike carried out in the guise of drivers falling sick. Hence a considerable number of train travelling sessions had to be cancelled. 

Millions of rupees lost due to strike action 

Moreover, there was also a strike conducted by Railway Station Masters recently and many passengers were left in disappointment. Several millions in rupees was lost to Sri Lanka Railways as a result.  

Due to the strike actions frequently carried out by the associations affiliated to Sri Lanka Railways, train delays have caused much tension in passengers over the years. This is an occurring scenario at all railway station in all parts of the country. As a result, the trains that arrive late outnumber the trains that arrive on time.   

“When it comes to train delays, problems associated with locomotive engines play a vital part. Not having enough staff is also a serious issue. Apart from that not maintaining the railway tracks properly is also an issue,” President of the Railways Station Masters Union, Sumedha Somaratne said.

“There are over 400 vacancies for Station Masters across the country. 17,000 employees are there, but there is the absence of a proper Human Resources Department for Sri Lanka Railways. There is a preference to physically hand over official letters as opposed to using emails. Systems are not updated in terms of using modern technology,” Somaratne underscored.

“A long-term plan should be implemented to resolve these types of issues instead of opting for short term solutions. Past regimes, including the present one, haven’t been addressing these issues successfully. The present Minister of Transport should pay attention to the heads of associations at Sri Lanka Railways and discuss the issues with them. This is because officials of these associations know the problems well; hence implementing solutions can be done much effectively. But at the moment the minister merely listens to the ones who are close to him,” Somaratne reiterated.  

When this newspaper asked about the remaining vacant positions at Sri Lanka Railyways, the President of the Locomotive Operating Engineers Union (LOEU) K.A.U. Konthasinghe said, “There are over 200 vacancies for engine drivers at Sri Lanka Railways. Applications have been called to recruit 160 drivers in July,” said