Sri Lanka Railways
Encyclopedia
Sri Lanka Railway Department, branded "Sri Lanka Railways", is a key department of the Sri Lankan Government under the Ministry of Transport with a history that begins in 1858. Sri Lanka Railways (formerly CGRCeylon Government Railway) operates the nation's rail network linking Colombo - the commercial capital of Sri Lanka - and many population centres and tourist destinations.

Overview

Presently the Sri Lankan Railway network consists of 1,508 kilometres with broad gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...

. The narrow gauge lines were . The railway contains some of the most magnificent scenic rail routes in the world. Particularly the Main Line winding through both natural beauties such as waterfalls, natural forest mountains, misty peaks and precipices, as well as man made festoons such as tea estates, pine forests and engineering feats including bridges and peak level stations.

Beginnings

The Railway Network was introduced by the British in 1864. The main reason for building a railway system in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 (Ceylon) was to transport tea and coffee from the hill country to Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

. Initially the service began with the Main Line of 54 kilometres connecting Colombo and Ambepussa
Ambepussa
Ambepussa is a town in the Kegalla District in Sri Lanka Also one more Ambepussa in Gampaha District.- History :The first railroad tracks in Sri Lanka led from Colombo to Ambepussa .- Geography :...

. Sir Guilford Lindsey Molesworth
Guilford Lindsey Molesworth
Sir Guilford Lindsey Molesworth KCIE was an English civil engineer.He was educated at the college of civil engineers at Putney, then became chief assistant engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, but soon resigned to conduct the constructions at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,...

 became the first chief engineer and later Director General of the government railways.

Extensions were made to the main line in 1867, 1874, 1885, 1894 and 1924, extending its service to Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

, Nawalapitiya
Nawalapitiya
Nawalapitiya is a town in the country of Sri Lanka. It is in the Kandy administrative district, 38 kilometers away from Kandy. The town is near Mahaweli Ganga. Nawalapitiya is a one of the well planned towns of SriLanka.It is well connected to all nearby important places by Bus...

, Nanu Oya
Nanu Oya
Nanu Oya is a village in Sri Lanka. It is located within Central Province.-External links:*...

, Bandarawela
Bandarawela
Bandarawela is the second largest city in Badulla District which is 28 km away from Badulla. Due to higher altitude, Bandarawela has a mild weather condition throughout the year hence, it is popular among the citizens to spend the vacations with their family members...

 and Badulla
Badulla
Badulla , is the capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Badulla is located 60 km southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya River, about 680 metres above sea level and is surrounded by picturesque hills and mountains, most of which have tea plantations.-Geography:It is located on the...

, respectively. Many other railway lines were added to Ceylon Railway System within the first century of its life, such as a line to Matale
Matale
Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....

 in 1880, Coast Railway Line in 1895, Northern Line in 1905, Mannar Line in 1914, Kelani Valley in 1919, Puttalam Line in 1926, and Railway Line to Batticaloa
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...

 and Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

 in 1928. For more than 80 years after that, no more major extensions were added to the Sri Lankan (Ceylon) railway network as the British left the country for native rule.

Golden era

Though the British established the railway system, the golden era of Sri Lanka Railways was during 1955–1970 under the management of B.D Rampala
B.D Rampala
Bamunusinghearachchige Don Rampala, MBE was Chief Mechanical Engineer and later General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways. He was the first native Sri Lankan to hold the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer...

, the most respected chief mechanical engineer and late General Manager of CGR. Rampala worked to maintain punctuality and improve comfort. He led the upgrading of major railway stations outside Colombo, and the rebuilding of the track in the Eastern Province to facilitate heavier and faster trains.

Till 1953, Sri Lankan Railway served with steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

s. In the golden era, it enhanced its service to more power with diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...

s, under the leadership of Rampala. Various types of diesel locomotives were added to the service.

Decline

In the late 20th century, the railway started to decline. For three decades, it suffered from neglect and poor treatment.

Rebirth

In the early 2010s, the government launched a 10-year Railway Development Strategy to bring the railway back to satisfactory condition. It started by ordering new diesel-multiple units
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...

(DMU) to replace the current trains. The railway is upgrading the track on the Southern line, which was damaged in the 2004 tsunami, and it is rebuilding the Northern line, which suffered from war for three decades. The railway is also extending the Southern line from Matara
Matara, Sri Lanka
Matara is a city on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km from Colombo. It is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka. It was deeply affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.-History:...

 to Kataragama
Kataragama
Kataragama is a pilgrimage town popular with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and indigenous Vedda communities of Sri Lanka and South India. The town has Ruhunu Maha Kataragama devalaya, a shrine dedicated to Skanda-Murukan also known as Kataragamadevio...

, in order to serve the growing city of Hambantota
Hambantota
Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...

.

Routes

  • Main LineColombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

     to Badulla
    Badulla
    Badulla , is the capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Badulla is located 60 km southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya River, about 680 metres above sea level and is surrounded by picturesque hills and mountains, most of which have tea plantations.-Geography:It is located on the...

    .
  • Matale Line from Peradeniya
    Peradeniya
    Peradeniya is a town of about 50,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road connecting Kandy and Colombo, just a few kilometres west of Kandy....

     junction to Kandy
    Kandy
    Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

     and Matale
    Matale
    Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka, from Colombo and from Kandy. It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of Matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006....

    .
    • Udupussellawa Line (narrow gauge) from Nanu Oya
      Nanu Oya
      Nanu Oya is a village in Sri Lanka. It is located within Central Province.-External links:*...

       junction to Ragala
      Ragala
      -Transport:It used to be served by a narrow gauge branchline of the national railway network, part of which is being rebuilt to broad gauge....

       via Nuwara Eliya
      Nuwara Eliya
      Nuwara Eliya , meaning "city on the plain " or "city of light", is a town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka with a picturesque landscape and temperate climate. It is located at an altitude of 1,868 m and is considered to be the most important location for Tea production in Sri Lanka...

       - Track abandoned in 1940.

  • Coast Line– Colombo Secretariat halt to Matara
    Matara, Sri Lanka
    Matara is a city on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km from Colombo. It is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka. It was deeply affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.-History:...

     via Galle
    Galle
    Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....

     - extension of the track up to Hambantota
    Hambantota
    Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...

     and Kataragama
    Kataragama
    Kataragama is a pilgrimage town popular with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and indigenous Vedda communities of Sri Lanka and South India. The town has Ruhunu Maha Kataragama devalaya, a shrine dedicated to Skanda-Murukan also known as Kataragamadevio...

     is currently under construction.

  • Northern LinePolgahawela
    Polgahawela
    Polgahawela is a town in north western Sri Lanka. The town is most notable for a major railway accident that occurred in 2005. Polgahawela is a small city that belongs to the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, and situated at a distance of 80 km north-east from the capital city of Colombo; 50 km...

     to Kankesanturai deviates from the Main Line at Polgahawela junction - presently operating only up to Omanthai
    Omanthai
    Omanthai is a little town in North Sri Lankan district of Vavuniya. The last Sri Lankan army check point which divided the Government and LTTE controlled areas used to be in Omanthai for many years.- Transport :...

    , track was abandoned beyond Vavuniya due to war but extended service up to Omanthei on May 2011 after the end of civil war. Reconstruction began in March 2009 to re-extend track up to Kankesanthurai
    Kankesanthurai
    Kankesanthurai or KKS , is a town with a harbour in the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna. It is the location of the Sri Lanka Navy naval base, SLNS Uttara. At present it is in the High Security Zone declared by the security forces of Sri Lanka. India helps in port's restoration...

    .
    • Mihintale Line from Anuradhapura
      Anuradhapura
      Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...

       to the sacred city of Mihintale
      Mihintale
      Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka...

      .

  • Batticaloa Line- separates from the Northern Line at Maho
    Maho
    -Geography:*Maho Beach, a beach in St. Maarten*Mahawa, Sri Lanka, a town in North Western Province, Sri Lanka*Maho, a town in Eritrea-Culture:Maho is a feminine personal name in Japan. A typical kanji spelling is 真帆, though there may be others...

     junction and extends up to Batticaloa
    Batticaloa
    Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...

     via Polonnaruwa
    Polonnaruwa
    The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 AD to reunite the country once more under a local leader.-History:While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa...

    .

  • Tricomalee Line- separates from the Batticaloa
    Batticaloa
    Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...

    line at Gal-oya junction in the to Trincomalee
    Trincomalee
    Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

    .

  • Puttalam Line – Colombo to Puttalam
    Puttalam
    Puttalam is the capital city of the Puttalam District in North Western Province, Sri Lanka.-History:The history of this dry zone dates back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya, nearly 2500 years ago, when his vessel washed ashore. The name "Puttalam" may be a modification of the Tamil word Uppuththalam...

     - deviates from the Main Line at Ragama
    Ragama
    Ragama is a municipality located in the Western Province, Sri Lanka.Ragama is easily accessible from the Colombo - Negambo main road and is about from Mahabage junction. This is a well known town due to one major Railway junction where the main line and the Puttalam line meet. The town is also...

    .
    • Industrial Line from Puttalam to Aruwakalu and Ilavankulam via Vanathavillu.

  • Kelani Valley Line
    Kelani Valley Railway Line
    The Kelani Valley Railway Line, in Sri Lanka, covering the breadth of Colombo District and some parts of Kegalla and Ratnapura Districts is owned, maintained and operated by the Sri Lanka Railways.- History :...

    (originally narrow gauge) - Colombo to Yatiyantota - presently operating only up to Avissawella
    Avissawella
    Avissawella, also known as Seethawakapura or Seethawaka, is a town along the A4 route from Colombo on the Western Coast to Kalmunai in the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka via Ratnapura, Pelmadulla, Balangoda and Wellawaya.- Overview :...

    , the track beyond Avissawella was abandoned in 1940. Broad gauged
    Gauge conversion
    In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...

     up to Avissawella in 1997.
    • Sabaragamuwa Line (Narrow Gauge) from Avissawella to Opanayaka via Ratnapura
      Ratnapura
      - Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...

       - Track abandoned in 1970.

  • Mannar Line (Earlier Indo-Lanka Line) Medawachchi
    Medawachchiya
    Medawachchiya is a town in the Anuradhapura District, North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Situated 27km from Anuradhapura, on the A9 Jaffna - Kandy main road, it is 229km from the capital Colombo. Medawachchiya is also the point from which the A14 main road to mannar and Talaimannar starts...

     to Talaimannar
    Talaimannar
    Talaimannar is a settlement in Sri Lanka located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island.- Transport :Prior to the severe destructions by a cyclone in December 1964, it was the terminus of a ferry service to India across the very shallow Palk Bay...

     - Divides from Northern Line at Medawachchi junction - damaged during the war, but rebuilding began in November 2010.

Services

Sri Lanka Railways operates both intercity services, connecting major population centres, and commuter rail, serving Colombo commuter traffic. The railways also transport freight.

Most inter-city services are provided in different classes of varying comfort:
  • 1st class sleeper carries sleeping-berths and are provided on a few overnight trains.

  • 1st class observation car is available on certain daytime trains, mostly on the Main Line, and is very popular among tourists. The observation car provides wide views of the scenery and is normally at the rear of the train but occasionally behind the locomotive.

  • 1st class air-conditioned seats are only available on occasional inter-city express trains between Colombo and Vavunia and Colombo and Batticaloa.

  • 2nd class seats are provided on all inter-city trains and are available as either unreserved seats or reserved seats, where a passenger is allocated a specific seat.

  • 3rd class seats are available on most trains. This class can get very crowded and carries only basic facilities.


Commuter trains serve the busiest portions of the railways, ferrying commuters within Colombo and its suburbs. Most commuter trains are operated with diesel-multiple units, and lack the three-class configuration seen in the inter-city services. Commuter trains help alleviate rush hour congestion on city roads, but can be very crowded.

Electrification of the commuter rail network has been proposed, to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.

Famous train names

A number of long distance trains were named by CGR.

Regular services:
  • Udarata Menike
    Udarata Menike
    Udarata Menike is a daytime passenger train that runs between Colombo and Badulla in Sri Lanka.The Udarata Menike made its maiden journey on 23 April 1956. The Badulla-bound train departs from Colombo at 9.30 a.m., while the Colombo-bound train leaves Badulla at 5.55 a.m....

    (Upcountry Maiden) - Runs between Colombo Fort and Badulla
  • Podi Menike
    Podi Menike
    "Podi Manike" is a Sri Lankan passenger train running from Colombo Fort to Badulla. Known as the most beautiful train journey in Sri Lanka, this journey covers about 400 miles. It takes about 7 hours to complete the journey.The train follows the hill-country line, a route developed by British in...

    (Little Maiden) - Connects Colombo Fort and Badulla (no longer runs via Kandy, only through coaches to Kandy)
  • Tikiri Menike (Little Maiden) - Colombo Fort to Hatton
  • Senkadagala Menike (Maiden of “Senkadagala” – area name) - Runs between Colombo Fort and Kandy
  • Yal Devi
    Yal Devi
    Yal Devi is a major intercity express train in Sri Lanka. Operated by Sri Lanka Railways, the Yal Devi connects Colombo, the nation's commercial hub, with the northern cities of Jaffna and Kankesanturai. Since 1990, the service has had to terminate at intermediate stations, due to war...

    (Princess/Queen of Jaffna) - Was operated between Colombo Fort and Kankasanthurei via Jaffna (now only up to Thandikulam)
  • Udaya Devi (Princess/Queen of the Rise -East) - Runs between Colombo Fort and Batticaloa
  • Rajarata Rajina (Queen of the land of kings) - Runs between Vavuniya and Matara via Colombo Fort
  • Ruhunu Kumari (Princess of “Ruhuna” – southern province) - Between Colombo (Maradana) and Matara
  • Samudra Devi (Queen of the Oceans) - Colombo (Maradana) to Galle
  • Galu Kumari (Princess of Galle) - Colombo (Maradana) to Matara
  • Sagarika (Name of Ocean in Sinhala Language) - Colombo (Maradana) to Galle
  • Muthu Kumari (Princess of Pearls) - Operates between Panadura and Chilaw


Specials:
  • Viceroy Special
    Viceroy Special
    The Viceroy Special is a special passenger train service operated by J.F. Tours & Travels Ltd. Powered by the sole steam locomotive kept in operation in Sri Lanka, it is operated as a private train on all railway lines in the island...

    - Colombo to Kandy, Badulla, or Galle; by charter (Tourist excursion train powered by steam)
  • Bradby Express - Colombo to Kandy (for the Kandy leg of the annual Bradby Shield Encounter
    Bradby Shield Encounter
    The Bradby Shield Encounter - commonly known as "The Bradby" - is the blue ribbon of Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. It is played annually between traditional rivals Royal College, Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy. The encounter consists of two legs, one being played in the Royal College...

    )

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

Locomotives of Sri Lanka Railways consist mostly of diesel locomotives. Steam locomotives were used on regular services until the 1950s, but now only run on heritage trains, such as the Viceroy Special
Viceroy Special
The Viceroy Special is a special passenger train service operated by J.F. Tours & Travels Ltd. Powered by the sole steam locomotive kept in operation in Sri Lanka, it is operated as a private train on all railway lines in the island...

.

The first locomotives pulled trains in the 1860s on the original segment of the Main Line, on 54 kilometres connecting Colombo and Ambepussa
Ambepussa
Ambepussa is a town in the Kegalla District in Sri Lanka Also one more Ambepussa in Gampaha District.- History :The first railroad tracks in Sri Lanka led from Colombo to Ambepussa .- Geography :...

. In 1953, Sri Lanka Railways enhanced its service to more power with diesel locomotives. Since then, various types of diesel locomotives were added to the service.

As of August 2011, Sri Lanka does not have commercially operational electric locomotives or train sets. Electrification has been proposed, to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.

Most passenger coaches are either Romanian-built ASTRA passenger coaches  or Chinese-built CSR coaches. On most lines, the service is currently being upgraded, as new long-haul diesel multiple units from CSR and India's RITES Ltd are being imported.

Finances

Like several state-owned enterprises in the country, Sri Lanka Railways regularly incurres large financial losses. It has not made a profit since 1943. As of May 2007, the railway makes a revenue of about three billion rupees
Sri Lankan rupee
The rupee is the currency of Sri Lanka, divided into 100 cents. It is issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and is generally written Rs. The rupee (Sinhala: රුපියල , Tamil: ரூபாய்) (sign: ₨; code: LKR) is the currency of Sri Lanka, divided into 100 cents. It is issued by the Central Bank of Sri...

, but requires a state subsidy of seven billion rupees to balance its budget.

It faces the challenge of addressing high operational and infrastructure costs, dealing with a Victorian era network. The State has been the employer of first resort, which has caused the railway to be overstaffed. Priority needs to be attached to reallocating labour from less to more productive employment activities. The railway faces the need to rationalise underpriced fares.

Infrastructure limitations

Sri Lanka Railways runs on Victorian-era infrastructure and aging equipment. A substantial amount of expenditure goes to rehabilitating poorly-maintained assets, as opposed to regular maintenance. Over the years, rolling stock capacity has declined due to this issue, reducing the quantity and quality that the system is able to provide. Since 2007, the railways have been ordering new rolling stock to meet this shortage.

Integration

Sri Lanka Railways has not integrated its services with other modes of transport. Unlike transport systems in some other countries, Sri Lanka does not streamline ticketing between road and rail passenger transport or provide thorough documentation for road/rail freight services. Buses do not provide dedicated feeder-bus services to the railways, resulting in Commuter rail and buses acting as isolated systems in relation to each other. This creates a loss in efficiency.

Major accidents

  • 18 March 1964 - A train derails at high speed, killing over 60 people near Mirigama
    Mirigama
    Mirigama is a town in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. It is located 57 km from Colombo, and 35 km from Bandaranaike International Airport.It is one of the most populated and fastest growing cities in the country and is a major metro....

    .
  • 19 January 1985 - LTTE bombed Yal Devi
    Yal Devi
    Yal Devi is a major intercity express train in Sri Lanka. Operated by Sri Lanka Railways, the Yal Devi connects Colombo, the nation's commercial hub, with the northern cities of Jaffna and Kankesanturai. Since 1990, the service has had to terminate at intermediate stations, due to war...

     killing 11 civilians.
  • 24 July 1996 - LTTE blasted an office train, resulted 70 civilian deaths at Dehiwala.
  • 19 August 2001 - A train derails because of high speeds and over crowding, killing 46 between Alawwa and Rambukkana.
  • January 2002 - The Intercity Express was heading to Colombo from Kandy derails near Rambukkana causing more than 15 deaths. The accident was due to malfunctioning of the braking system.
  • 13 June 2002 – Train derails whilst coming into Alawwa station, killing 14 people.
  • 26 December 2004 – Queen of the Sea train disaster
    Queen of the Sea train disaster
    Train No.8050 Tsunami - Rail Disaster was a rail disaster with the highest count of deaths in history. It occurred when a crowded passenger train was destroyed on a coastal railway in Sri Lanka by the tsunami which followed the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, and resulted in the greatest loss of life...

    , At Peraliya, approximately 2685 died in the world's biggest rail disaster as a train is overwhelmed by a Tsunami
    Tsunami
    A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...

     created by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
    2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
    The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...

    .
  • 26 April 2005 – Polgahawela level crossing collision
    Polgahawela level crossing collision
    On April 27, 2005, at Polgahawela in Sri Lanka, a serious bus accident occurred on a level crossing.- Overview :The bus was a local service to Alawwa, reportedly carrying over 90 people. At 0830AM to 0845AM local time , the bus was travelling through Polgahawela, 80 km north-east of Colombo...

    , a private bus tries to beat another bus and the train at a level crossing in Yangamodera close to Polgahawela
    Polgahawela
    Polgahawela is a town in north western Sri Lanka. The town is most notable for a major railway accident that occurred in 2005. Polgahawela is a small city that belongs to the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, and situated at a distance of 80 km north-east from the capital city of Colombo; 50 km...

     crashed. 37 of commuters died, all on the bus.

  • 17 September 2011 - Near Alawwa, two trains (an express and a Class S11 DMU
    Sri Lanka Railways S11
    Sri Lanka Railways Class S11 is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for Sri Lanka Railways by RITES Ltd, an Indian state infrastructure corporation. The DMUs are currently being imported in phases, with the last batch arriving in Sri Lanka in March 2012. They were built to replace...

    ) collide killing 3 persons and injuring 20 people


Other than these, a number of accidents have taken place. One major type is elephant
Sri Lankan Elephant
The Sri Lankan Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian Elephant, and native to Sri Lanka. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...

 accidents, which typically occur in the North-Central area. Other accidents occur at unsecured level crossings with road traffic. There are only 527 secure level crossings, out of 1684 crossings, in Sri Lanka.

In an attempt to prevent collisions, SLR has begun the process of installing a GPS-based, train-protection system. The system would warn drivers of a possible collision with enough time to prevent it.

Video

Some Video From Youtube about Sri Lanka Railway

Images

Several types of locomotives used by the Sri Lanka Railway Department for transporting passengers and wares:

In popular culture

Sri Lanka Railways has become an integral part of local popular culture, with references to it in books and TV shows, as well as in everyday life.

Some of the most popular trains, such as the Samudra Devi, have become cultural symbols representing commuter travel as a part of suburban life. The railway impacts the way people perceive suburban living.

See also

  • Ceylon Railway Engineer Corps
    Ceylon Railway Engineer Corps
    Ceylon Railway Engineer Corps was a regiment of the Ceylon Army. Raised in 1955 with staff from the Ceylon Government Railway. The government hoped to minimized the effects to the Post and Telegraph services in the event of trade union action by mobilizing the personnel attached to this unit....

  • Rail transport in Sri Lanka
    Rail transport in Sri Lanka
    Rail Transport in Sri Lanka consists of a heavy-rail intercity network connecting major population centres and commuter rail serving Colombo commuter traffic. State-run Sri Lanka Railways, originally known as Ceylon Government Railways, is the nation's railway owner and primary operator. The...

  • Railway stations in Sri Lanka‎
  • Transport in Sri Lanka

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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