• TUs urge tougher action against repeated sabotage concerns

Two individuals, one accused of removing railway track components between Wanawasala and Kelaniya and another suspected of purchasing the stolen materials, have been remanded until 29 May over the train derailment that occurred on 16 May.

The arrests were made following investigations launched by the Peliyagoda Police after a train derailed and overturned between the Kelaniya and Wanawasala Railway Stations. Railway Department Traffic Superintendent Asanka Samarasinghe said the accident had been caused by the removal of iron bars connected to the railway points system used to switch trains between tracks.

Police stated the main suspect arrested over the incident is a 25-year-old youth heavily addicted to drugs. Further investigations later led to the arrest of a second suspect believed to have purchased the stolen railway materials.

Both suspects were produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court and ordered to be remanded until 29 May.

In the wake of the derailment, railway trade unions yesterday urged authorities to take stronger action to prevent similar incidents and crack down on scrap metal buyers aiding such crimes. Speaking to The Daily Morning, Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union General Secretary Kasun Chamara Jayasekara said such incidents had repeatedly occurred in the Kelaniya and Wanawasala areas in the past due to the high presence of drug addicts in the area.

Although the Railways Department had deployed security officers and managed to control the situation to some extent, he said preventing such incidents entirely would not be possible without continuous support from the police.

“The individual who removed the railway track components sold them for only Rs  3,000. However, the Railways Department has suffered losses exceeding Rs  20 million because of this incident. The responsible individual must be prosecuted properly. In addition, several scrap metal shops in these areas continue purchasing stolen railway materials from drug users and thieves. They should also be dealt with for enabling such crimes to continue,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Locomotive Engineers’ Association has called on the Railways Department to immediately resume night patrol operations, claiming the service is currently not functioning properly.

Association President Jeewa Gunawardena said the relevant divisions should pay closer attention to observations and warnings raised by train drivers during operations. “We also request the Railways Department to immediately redeploy the night patrol teams previously assigned by the track maintenance division. These services are essential to prevent incidents like this in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police for Western Province North Kalinga Jayasinghe said the stolen railway components had reportedly been sold for just Rs  3,000 and confirmed that police had arrested the individual who allegedly purchased them.

He added that legal action would be filed not only over damage to public property, but also over the financial losses and danger caused to human lives by the derailment.

DIG Jayasinghe further warned that those who knowingly purchase stolen public property would also face legal consequences.

Railway General Manager Samarasinghe meanwhile said three injured passengers remain hospitalised following the derailment.

He said six passengers had initially been injured, with one person discharged on 16 May and another released from hospital yesterday. The remaining three patients, including a female passenger, continue receiving treatment.

He also said the Railways Department has an approved compensation scheme for railway accident victims.

“Compensation for deaths or permanent disability has now been increased from Rs 150,000 to Rs one million. Hospitalised passengers are also entitled to daily payments for treatment and additional compensation depending on the severity of injuries,” he said.

Speaking further, he noted that repair work at the derailment site was expected to be completed by yesterday evening, with normal train operations likely to resume from the beginning of this week.