• Include 1/4 passenger train services  

A total of 17,977 train services have been cancelled in the Anuradhapura Railway Division between 1 June 2020 and 30 September 2026, including 13,061 passenger services, according to information released by the Railways Department under the Right to Information Act.

Figures provided by the Division's Assistant Transport Superintendent, S. Maginthan, show that 53,928 passenger train services had been scheduled during the period, of which only 40,867 were operated. This means that nearly one in four scheduled passenger services in the Division was cancelled.

The Division also recorded 1,809 cancellations among scheduled freight train services, 1,355 among oil train services and 1,752 among mixed train services during the same period.

Of the 4,614 freight train services scheduled, 2,805 were operated. In the case of oil trains, 4,636 of the 5,991 scheduled services were operated, while 4,148 of the 5,900 scheduled mixed train services were operated.

In total, 70,433 train services across the four categories were scheduled in the Division during the period, of which 52,456 were operated and 17,977 were cancelled.

Train delays and cancellations have continued to disrupt commuters who depend on railway services for their daily journeys, particularly those travelling to work and educational institutions.

The reliability of railway services has been a subject of concern for some time, with the Railways Department and the Transport Ministry stating on several occasions that steps were being taken to address the issues affecting operations.