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Sri Lanka Railways: Lokuge causes losses?

06 Dec 2020

  • Reduced charge per kilometre for a friend 
  • Goods transportation due to losses
By Maheesha Mudugamuwa  Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge has allegedly changed the Railway Ordinance on behalf of a friend who is engaged in transporting sand from Batticaloa to Colombo by a special freight train, causing huge losses to the Railway Department, the All Ceylon Railway General Employees’ Union (ACRGEU) alleged last week.  The Minister is accused of ordering the reduction of charges by 50% when the train was going up to Eravur while the full amount was charged on the way back, the union alleged. Therefore, the Railway Ordinance had been amended, reducing the charge per kilometre from Rs. 925 to Rs. 462.50, alleged ACRGEU President P. Vithanage.  The train runs every three days which means 10 trips a month and therefore, as calculated by the union, the Minister’s decision has caused the Department a loss of Rs. 1,698,300 per month.    As explained by the ACRGEU, the train to transport sand from Batticaloa to Colombo was launched on 23 October. This special freight train runs a total of 680 km, including 340 km from Maradana to Eravur and 340 km back to Maradana. The private company involved used 20 containers to haul sand from Eravur to Maradana. Ten types of BCF wagons have been used and two M-11/M-4 engines were used, the union further stated.  The union claimed that the Department is currently incurring a loss of around Rs. 700 million per year.   Vithanage stressed that the train service has been disrupted since 4 October due to the spread of the second wave of Covid-19 and the train service could not continue for two months. The first Covid-19 wave also disrupted train services, leading to huge losses.  Meanwhile, when contacted by The Sunday Morning, Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge denied the allegations levelled by the unions and said the goods transportation was commenced as the railway is incurring a huge loss from passenger transport.  "As an initial step, the Department launched a train service from Maradana to Eravur and from next week, another train will be launched to Kantale," he said, adding that in the meantime, discussions are being conducted with the Prima Group to transport their goods as well.  Clarifying the reduction of the prices, the Minister said that the Department should first attract the businesses and that was why it had reduced the prices for carrying empty carriages.    


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