Losses worth billions of rupees likely
Railway lines servicing hill country seriously damaged, difficult to rebuild
Sri Lanka’s railway network, one of the hardest-hit Government entities in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah’s devastating floods on 28 November, remains severely disrupted across multiple lines, with restoration efforts hampered by inaccessible terrain, damaged bridges, and landslide risks and losses running into billions of rupees.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Kumara Gunasena, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said that total repair and full operational status would take as long as one year, but admitted that they had yet to determine the exact impact of the damage.
“At the moment we are unable to provide an official timeline as we have not been able to even assess the full extent of the damage to the railway system. It may take at least a year. Some areas are still inaccessible due to the ongoing inclement weather, particularly in the hill country, so we have not been able to determine how bad the situation is,” he said.
While noting that the upcountry line was the most profitable due to its significance for tourism, Gunasena acknowledged that the line was the most damaged.
He said that losses to the Railways Department were yet to be calculated but would most likely be in the billions, considering that the Road Development Authority (RDA) had tabulated almost Rs. 80 billion in losses to the roads under its purview.
“We cannot say how much damage the railway system has incurred. We do know however that the roads under the RDA have sustained between Rs. 78-80 billion in damages.”
Cyclone Ditwah unleashed the worst flooding in over two decades, affecting all 25 districts and impacting over 2.1 million people — about 10% of the population — and causing the displacement of 286,377 individuals into 990 safety centres.
The Government, United Nations agencies like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF, and international actors like India and Pakistan have provided water, food, and rescue support, though communication blackouts and landslides have hindered operations. Recovery focuses on rehousing, utility restoration, and climate resilience amid rising extreme weather risks.
Extensive disruptions
Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association Secretary R.M.S. Kasun Chamara provided an extensive update on the damage to the national railway system, emphasising the financial toll and uncertain timelines for full recovery.
Chamara detailed the extensive disruptions, starting with northern and eastern lines: “The Trincomalee-Batticalo-Jaffna line is not operational. The main issue we faced were the trees falling on the railway track along the coastal line. We managed to resolve it quickly and get the railway lines to Kelaniya and Colombo Fort to Beliatta running again.
“The issue we had was the main line (Colombo Fort to Badulla), along with the Chilaw, Batticaloa, Talaimannar, Trincomalee, and Jaffna lines were the ones that were mostly affected and are still under construction. The first restoration project we started involved the line running from Colombo Fort to Ambepussa.
“We have been able to restore and make operational the lines running from Colombo Fort to Rambukkana and Colombo Fort to Kurunegala. The train to Mahawa has been active since Friday (5). From the entire Puttalam line, only the line from Colombo Fort to Nattandiya remains active.”
Progress on some northern routes offers space for cautious optimism. “Rail tracks in Manampitiya, Kala Wewa, and several places along the Puttalam route had completely washed away. We have been able to restore the line from Mahawa to Trincomalee, but it is still only operating service trains as we are not ready to run passengers on this route yet. We are expecting to have that line active within the next two weeks. There were places along the Talaimannar line that were completely washed away and we are currently restoring those as well.”
Challenges in the Central Province
The central hills present the biggest hurdles due to flooding, landslides, and geography.
Chamara said: “We are unable to give any information regarding the railway lines in the Central Province. We are awaiting a status report regarding the Peradeniya Bridge that was damaged, which may take up to two months.
“There are around five or six places along the Peradeniya-Badulla route that have been completely washed away due to the floods. The damage in those areas is extensive. Further, we are unable to even visit Balana and Ihala Kotte to assess the damage. Therefore we cannot certify anything at the moment.”
Explaining the unique issues, such as landslides, Chamara noted: “Landslides happen frequently, and usually we clear them up and there are no issues. We have found several sections along the railway route in the Central Province where the soil has completely washed away beneath the railway line, so we now have to decide whether to fill up those spaces with more soil or build an entirely new bridge.
“At the moment, we don’t have enough information to make a definitive decision. There are several places that currently have red alerts issued for landslides due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions, so we haven’t been able to visit yet. The Central Province has a very sensitive environment and a unique geographical composition.”
The association has appealed for priority action on tourist routes. “We have made an earnest request to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to expedite restoration efforts and open the Nanu Oya and Badulla lines for tourists as soon as possible.”
The current operational status reflects these limitations. “At present, trains on the main line from Colombo to Badulla are operating only up to the Rambukkana Railway Station. The Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kankesanthurai, and Talaimannar lines are operating only up to Kurunegala. The coastal line is now fully operational,” he said.
Most affected State entity
The Railways Department’s self-funding model has amplified the crisis, causing it to bear the highest level of damage among affected State entities.
“The Railways Department was the most affected Government entity, and this is very apparent. The department maintains the trains, engines, and tracks using revenue it generates from its own operations. With train services disrupted, income will also reduce drastically. Prior to the disaster, we were accepting seat reservations and people had booked seats until 28 December. We now have to issue reimbursements amounting to Rs. 150 million. We are in the process of handling this,” Chamara said.
“We have also lost millions in daily revenue. The Badulla railway line, in particular, is one of the most profitable routes as there is strong demand locally and internationally due to tourism. This has resulted in the loss of daily revenue of about Rs. 150 million, making us the most affected Government entity,” he added.
Chamara also revealed that 27 trains could not be used for daily operations as they were stranded outside Colombo along the various inoperable lines.
“A total of 39 trains were unable to return to Colombo due to the cyclone. So far, we have managed to bring 12 of those trains back to Colombo, while 27 are yet to return. Six of these are stranded on the Puttalam line – five at Chilaw and one in Puttalam. If these six can be brought to Colombo, they can be used as well. The remaining 21 trains are all stranded in various places along the upcountry line. The trains themselves have sustained only minor damage and all are in operational condition.”
While no staff members have been injured, some train stations were completely flooded. “No Railways Department personnel were seriously hurt or injured,” Chamara asserted.
“However, the Gelioya Railway Station was fully submerged in flood waters. The Gampola Railway Station was also inundated, while the Manampitiya and Polonnaruwa stations also suffered extensive flooding. Files and documents in these stations have been destroyed or seriously damaged. The stations themselves did not suffer any structural damage, except for some minor damage to the roof of the Gelioya station.”
Restoration efforts
Concerning the ongoing repair and restoration efforts, Chamara said that the main concern was the Colombo-Badulla line.
“At present, we cannot provide an official timeline regarding the operational prospects of the main line from Colombo to Badulla, since we have been unable to determine the extent of the damage caused thus far due to the inability to physically access these areas.
He said that while repairs on other lines would not face significant difficulties, restoring bridges may take time.
“The Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Talaimannar, and Jaffna lines are located on flat and low-lying areas, so we won’t face many issues in restoring these lines. Restoration work will be carried out within the next month. However, there are about 6–7 bridges that have been damaged across the country and they will take a little longer to repair,” Chamara said.