Trade Union Central Confederation in Sri Lanka organized a protest campaign against recent railway fare hikes at the Colombo Fort railway station this evening.
The protesters almost crippled all operations in the country’s main railway station and were seen shouting slogans, displaying placards even on the railway tracks.
The protestors claimed that the government’s decision to increase [...]
Sri Lanka railways will almost double rail fares to reduce losses and its dependence on government handouts as fuel prices continue to move up, officials said.
From Monday fares of privately owned buses were raised by 27.2 percent and state-run buses by 17.0 percent. Rail fares were last raised in 2005, but bus fares have been [...]
On 20.02.08 there was a news item in “The Island” in which, the Minister of Transport has said that the Railways annual income had been only 2.5 billion rupees while the expenditure had reached 10 billion rupees. It further says that the deficit of 7.5 billion rupees had to be covered by a grant from [...]
Even if the proposed 100% railway fare hike comes into effect it will still not make the Sri Lanka Railway profitable as the department currently runs at a loss of 300% as per revenue, states the Sri Lanka Railway Department.
General Manager, Railways Department, L. Gunaruwan told The Morning Leader that the department made Rs. 2,500 [...]
Although I am not a rail commuter I had always a liking to travel by train. When Mr. J. M. Dharmaratne was the Operating Superintendent, on his instructions I travelled in the guard locomotive (as I remember manufacturers were Bayer Peacock of Leeds (subject to correction) from Nanuoya to Badulla and back. Going through Pattipola [...]
