• Most trains lack working speedometers: LOEU

Thousands of train commuters have been facing severe delays for two weeks following the derailment of the Sagarika Express train near the Wadduwa Railway Station on 24 April, with railway drivers now strictly adhering to speed limits amid mounting safety concerns.

The delays began after 11 out of 13 compartments of the Sagarika Express, travelling from Beliatta to Maradana, derailed near Wadduwa. Following the incident, the train’s driver, assistant driver, guard, and sub-guard were suspended pending investigation.

Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Union (LOEU) Secretary S.R.C.M. Senanayake told The Sunday Morning that the delays were not caused by drivers, but by years of neglected railway maintenance and outdated timetables that failed to account for existing speed restrictions. 

“The core issue is that our tracks haven’t been properly maintained for years,” he said. 

According to Senanayake, railway lines contain numerous caution zones where trains are required to reduce speeds to as low as 8, 10, 15, or 20 kmph. However, he alleged that train schedules had never been revised to reflect these restrictions. 

“Suppose there are 60 caution zones between Colombo and Beliatta. If you lose just one minute at each caution zone, that’s a 60-minute delay right there. So, a four-and-a-half-hour journey naturally becomes five-and-a-half hours,” he explained. 

Senanayake further claimed that many trains did not even have functioning speedometers, forcing drivers to estimate speeds in order to maintain schedules. 

“Most of these trains don’t even have working speedometers. Drivers take the risk and estimate the speed by feel. Drivers have been carrying that risk for a long time, but management provides no long-term solutions,” he alleged.

He stressed that drivers were now prioritising safety over punctuality following the Sagarika derailment. 

“Usually, management only reacts when the public protests against delays. But there was no protest because drivers were managing it. Even if not perfectly on time, they would get there within a 15-minute delay by taking risks. But this is no longer sustainable,” he said.

Referring to the derailment, Senanayake claimed that the stretch where the accident occurred had not even been marked with a caution notice. 

“The driver was most likely going at a speed of 70 kmph and had checked in for the previous signal as well. It wasn’t his fault that the train derailed,” he said, adding that the union would not oppose disciplinary action if investigations proved otherwise. 

Senanayake also raised concerns regarding outdated signalling systems, insufficient brake power, and mechanical faults in trains. 

“Wipers don’t work, speedometers are missing, engines have mechanical issues, and the brake power is insufficient. Then you get to the track, and the tracks aren’t maintained. The signalling system is outdated,” he claimed. 

He clarified that the current delays were not part of a trade union action. 

“This isn’t a trade union action or a strike. We are simply following the rules. These delays can be stopped only from the department’s end. The department should either fix the tracks or update the schedules so passengers know the real arrival times,” he asserted. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Railways General Manager Ravindra Pathmapriya maintained that speed limits had existed for years and that drivers had previously operated within those limits. 

“Speed limits existed then and they exist today. They won’t just be removed. However, sometimes drivers used to override those limits while driving,” he said. 

According to Pathmapriya, criticism directed at drivers on social media following the derailment had contributed to the present situation. 

“The drivers started going slowly as a result of this, and although we requested them to override the speed limits, they are not ready to oblige. We cannot remove the speed limits either due to the issues in the tracks,” he said.

Pathmapriya also said that the department was carrying out railway maintenance. 

“Railway development happens daily; we fix the places we identify. If we take the coastal line, the rails we lay there corrode very quickly. Generally, frequent replacements haven’t been happening when they corrode. We are in the process of making some changes to the speed limits. In certain places we’ve looked at, we have taken steps to increase speed,” he said. 

However, Pathmapriya stated that altering train timetables would only cause more trouble for travellers.