June 8th, 2009
April 28, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run railway service has started a goods wagon repair workshop aimed at improving maintenance and more carriage of freight in order to increase revenues, senior officials said.
Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma said the government wants to reverse years of neglect of the railway that has reduced it to making heavy annual losses and make it more efficient and able to cover costs.
“Our aim is to revive freight transport by rail,” he said in a speech at the opening of the new repair facility at the main rail yard of Sri Lanka Railway, formerly known as CGR (Ceylon Government Railway).
“The world over, most freight is moved by rail. So we decided to give priority to the movement of goods by rail.”
Two inland container depots are being planned in the suburbs of Sapugaskanda and Ratmalana, north and south of the capital Colombo.
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June 8th, 2009
April 15, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s over-staffed and inefficient state-owned railway service made heavy losses in 2008 despite higher revenues after fare increases, the central bank said.
Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) made a loss of 4,553 million rupees in 2008, up six percent from a year ago. The total revenue of the SLR increased 22.4 percent to 3,671 million rupees, while spending increased by 12.7 percent to 8,225 million.
Despite the heavy losses and poor service, workers in the state transport sector remain a pampered lot, even getting subsidised travel on their own loss-making services, while constantly demand more pay and perks.
Government officials told reporters last May when the fare hikes were announced that the state railway had 17,000 employees who enjoyed discounted season tickets and paid only three cents a passenger kilometre.
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June 7th, 2009
The Sri Lanka government today laid the foundation stone for a new railway station in Omanthai, several kilometers past Vavuniya.
The estimated cost for the Omanthai rail station is Rs. 20 million. It will be constructed with the assistance of the people of Galle and its suburbs, the Transport Ministry confirmed.
The Sri Lanka government expects to construct the station with new technologies especially for the benefit of the disabled, including TV announcements of train times and Braille facilities.
The chief guests at this historic event were Transport Minister Dullas Alahaperuma and Deputy Minister for Social Services and Welfare Lionel Premasiri.
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June 7th, 2009
For the first time in 20 years, the Yal Devi train resumed its journey beyond Vavuniya yesterday and reached the Thandikulama railway station in what many saw as a sign that normality was being restored in the north. Passengers who joined this nearly six-hour historic journey from Colombo are seen alighting from the train at Thandikulama.
Source : Sunday Times
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June 6th, 2009
The Yal Devi train which was suspended beyond Vavuniya for the past 20 years due to the war began its journey to Thandikulam in the north from Colombo early this morning. Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma was the chief guest at the launch ceremony.
Source: Daily Mirror
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June 6th, 2009
The Yal Devi train which was suspended beyond Vavuniya for the past 20 years due to LTTE terrorism will run up to Thandikulam from today.
Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said the restoration of the rail track in North destoyed by the LTTE 20 years ago is undertaken by the Government under the Uthuru Mithuru project as the people of both North and South eagerly wait to see the Yal Devi get on track again.
“The railway track and the signal system have already been completed up to Thandikulam,” the Minister said.
“The war is over and we will participate in the new launch of Yal Devi today. Now it is the time to breathe new life into the heart of the nation, to start the journey that will unite the entire nation after 19 years,” the Minster said.
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June 5th, 2009
A railway engine was extensively burnt and a section of the track damaged yesterday when a goods train carrying fuel to Anuradhapura from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation distribution centre was derailed close to the Talawa railway station, police said.
The police with the assistance of the Anuradhapura fire brigade doused the fire.
The engine had in tow five tanks each carrying 26,370 litres of diesel and a tank carrying 45,400 litres of petrol, a tank with water and a guard carriage.
Police said that as the train was approaching Talawa it had been directed to move to another track to allow the passage of the Colombo bound express train when the derailment had taken place.
Railway authorities said a major catastrophe was miraculously avoided because the petrol and diesel tanks had not caught fire.
By Athula Bandara
Source: Daily Mirror
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June 5th, 2009
A train will travel beyond Vavuniya for the first time after 20 years when ‘Yal Devi’ express train leaves Fort Railway station tomorrow morning for Thandikulam which is situated approximately 3 kilometres to the north of Vavuniya, Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma said.
Tomorrow’s trip to Thandikulam heralds reconstruction of the Northern Railway line up to the last railway station on the northern most tip of the Jaffna peninsula, the station at KKS which is 11 kilometres away from Jaffna.
The railway track beyond Vavuniya had been totally destroyed by the LTTE. In recent times the trains travelled only up to Medawachchiya on security concerns,” Minister Alahapperuma said yesterday.
The reconstruction of the railway track beyond Omanthai situated about 16 kilometres from Vavuniya would be launched tomorrow by Minister Alahapperuma. In a simple ceremony he would lay the foundation stone at Omanthai.
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