Express train delay, snag for passengers
Due to the delay of over twenty minutes at the Rambukkana Station the Colombo Fort-Kandy express train which leaves Colombo at 5.45 p.m. is causing much inconvenience to those travelling to Kandy. This results in them missing their last bus to their destinations.
This delay of over twenty minutes is for the change of the Engine with better pulling power but the train from Colombo has to wait at the Rambukkana Station for another baby train to come from Kandy before the engine could be changed. This is a daily occurrence.
For example on September 23, this express train left Colombo Fort dead on schedule at 5.45 p.m. and was keeping to schedule till it arrived at the Rambukkana Station it was announced that there will be a delay of 20 minutes.
The passengers were made to kick their heels and wait at the station for the arrival of the baby train for the change of engine with better pulling power. The time was 7.40 p.m. and the baby train arrived after 8 p.m. and the detachment and attachment of engines took a further 10 minutes and the train left for Kandy at 8.10 p.m., a delay of 30 minutes.
The daily travellers by this train state that this delay could be eliminated to some extent if the change of engines could be done at the next station which is Kadigamuwa without keeping the train to Kandy waiting for over 20 minutes at the Rambukkana Station where similar engines with better pulling power are available. When this train reached Kandy on that day it was nearly 9.30 p.m. – late by nearly 40 minutes and by that time most of the last buses to the suburban areas had left the Kandy bus stand.
Thus the poor public were compelled to hire out three wheelers paying exorbitant sums which they could ill-afford or trudge their way back home.
by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy South group correspondent
Source: Daily News
October 17th, 2008 at 5:08 am
I’m a frequent traveller from Fort to Kandy by ICE leaving colombo at 15:35.In last two weeks ,every day i’v travelled by above train was late for least 30 minutes to Peradeniya.
Mostly it was happening on rainy days and specially engine class is M5(Hitachi).
But some days above mentioned train pulled by M9(Alstom)on same weather condition won’t delay.
As a passengers I feel,power of M5 locomotive is not enough for mountain railways or locomotive weight is not enough for its traction.
My suggestion is to,Use M9 or M6 class locomotives for up country rail roads.It will menimize unnecessory delays and expences to the SLR.