• Passenger movement, livelihoods and tourism, cited  

• Cost of, and timeframe for, fully restoring extensive destruction cannot be estimated yet 

• Need for engineering tech. support to rebuild tracks, repair bridges, and restore signaling/communication systems

• Station Master  requests to commence journeys in phases such as on Upcountry lines between Badulla-Nanu Oya for tourists 

The Sri Lanka Railways Station Masters' Union (SLRSMU) urged the Government to seek assistance from foreign railway engineering companies and international disaster-response agencies to rebuild the country’s rail network, which has been severely damaged by the recent adverse weather.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the SLRSMU General Secretary, Kasun Chamara Jayasekara said that railway lines, bridges, stations, signalling systems and major buildings have suffered extensive destruction, adding the damage is so severe that the cost and timeframe for full restoration cannot yet be estimated. He added that only a limited number of trains are currently running, with the coastal line being the main operational route.

He stressed that railways are a key part of the transport system and the economic development, noting that routes such as the scenic stretch of the Upcountry Railway Line towards Badulla are also central to tourism. He said that restoring these lines is critical not just for passenger movement but also for the livelihoods tied to the tourism industry.

"Given the scale of damage, there is an urgent need to seek external technical support to rebuild tracks, repair bridges and restore signalling and communication systems. We also request the authorities to reopen the lines, wherever feasible, in phases. For instance, the Upcountry Line could still operate between Badulla and Nanu-Oya to accommodate tourists instead of remaining fully suspended until complete repairs are finished," Jayasekara said.

Meanwhile, the Transport and Highways Ministry stated earlier that there would be no immediate reconstruction of damaged railway lines, with the priority placed on strengthening services along routes unaffected by the disaster. Deputy Transport and Highways Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena told The Daily Morning that trains are operating only on confirmed safe routes. He said that the Ministry has yet to calculate the full extent of the damage and that a reconstruction plan would be drawn up once the disaster situation subsides.

Further, the Union stated that office train operations have been significantly disrupted due to the inability to bring 39 train power sets to Colombo for service as a result of recent landslides and flooding in the country. The 39 train power sets that operated to the Rambukkana, Polgahawela, Kurunegala, Kandy, Chilaw, Puttalam, and Ganewatta Railway Stations on the day prior to the recent heavy rains followed by landslides and flooding have not returned to Colombo, as the disaster has severely damaged the railway line. As a result, the Association said that it has become extremely challenging to operate trains to meet the existing passenger capacity.