Opinion – Rebuilding the northern railway
There is no doubt about the benefits for the country, if the Northern railway up to Kankesanthurai can be rebuilt. A recent study revealed, that it will not be done just to replace ballast, sleepers and rails. An infrastructure inclusive of the railway stations and quarters for working staff have to be rebuilt and it will amount to building a complete new Railwayline along the old route.
It is clear that the Sri Lankan state does not have the financial resources for such a multi billion rupee project. There is even no money to maintain the existing Railways and to bring a better, safe train operation on the existing tracks. Daily we hear, that lives and limbs of train travellers are endangered due to lack of funds.
In the past foreign donor countries have had a bad experience by helping to upgrade Sri Lanka railways. Parts of the donations or loans have ended up in the hands of Commission Hunters, and what was left was not sufficient any more for proper engineering works. Within the Railway Department, there has always been a tendency for shoddy work to siphon off funds.
The engineering work of the Track Rehabilitation Project funded by the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund of Japan for the complete rehabilitation of the Main Line is poor and disappointing. There is not much willingness any more among foreign donors to pump more funds into this Railway. Before starting with any rehabilitation work, the Railway has to be restructured, the Railway fares have to be revised and the Commission Hunters got rid of.
For a better control over local or foreign funds, the government should establish a separate “Northern Railway Company” with its own logistic, financial and engineering management similar to the building of the new Konkan Railway Line in India, which is run as a separate company with its own rolling stock within the framework of Indian Railways.
By Dr. Frank Wingler, Germany
Source: The Island
Tags: donor countries, economic cooperation, indian railways, konkan railway, northern railway company, overseas economic cooperation fund, railway department, railway fares, railway line, railway stations, rehabilitation project, rehabilitation work, rolling stock, separate company, shoddy work, sri lanka railways, train operation, train travellers
