brand logo

Trains were suspended on Defence and Transport Ministries' orders

11 Jul 2022

  • Directive carried out by Railways GM
  • GM says suspension was due to curfew
By Buddhika Samaraweera Railway Department General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara had instructed the staff of the Railway Department to suspend train services on 9 July, on the instructions received by the Ministry of Defence under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and the Ministry of Transport, The Morning learnt.  Sources in the Railway Department told The Morning that on 8 July, Jayasundara had informed railway stations islandwide to suspend the operation of trains on 9 July based on instructions received from the Defence and Transport Ministries to this effect.  When contacted by The Morning, Jayasundara said that the decision to suspend the trains was taken based on the Police curfew that was imposed on 8 July, and that the trains were in operation as usual after the curfew was lifted at 8 a.m. on 9 July. He said that although the operation of trains that were scheduled to reach Colombo Fort were to be suspended due to the curfew, trains running in other areas were to operate as usual.  When asked if he had received any instructions from the Defence Ministry to suspend train operations, he said that he had obtained instructions from the Police with regard to the operation of trains during the curfew period.  Multiple attempts to contact Defence Ministry Secretary Gen. (Rtd.) Kamal Gunaratne and Gunawardana about the matter proved futile.  Meanwhile, activists of the “GotaGoGama” in front of the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face Green stated that they hope to take action against former Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana, Transport Ministry Secretary R.W.R. Premasiri, and Jayasundara, who gave instructions to suspend train operations, based on political needs. “The Railway Department provides transportation facilities to millions of people daily. It is in such a situation that the Transport Minister, the Ministry Secretary, and the General Manager had decided to suspend train operations based on a clear political reason. All these parties are clearly responsible for this and we have planned to file a fundamental rights (FR) case against them,” an activist said.  In addition, he mentioned that the possibility of recovering the fiscal loss caused to train passengers who had previously reserved seats for 9 July as compensation from the parties involved in the suspension of the trains is also being explored. Following the announcement made by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne that a Police curfew would be imposed on several police jurisdictions within the Colombo city limits from 9 p.m. on 8 July, Jayasundara had instructed the staff of the Railway Department to suspend train operations. He had also instructed that trains that were scheduled to run from Badulla and Batticaloa to Colombo Fort should run only to Kandy and Mahawa railway stations, respectively.  However, the General Manager’s decision was strongly opposed by the trade unions of the Railway Department, including the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU). The SLRSMU, in a media statement issued on the night of 8 June, stated that they hope to somehow restore train operations. Accordingly, station masters, train guards, and locomotive drivers and other staff worked to run trains from many areas to Colombo Fort after 8 a.m. on 9 July. SLRSMU General Secretary Kasun Chamara said that by the afternoon of 9 July, more than 50 trains from different areas were running towards Colombo Fort.


More News..