Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, old trains and obsolete signage. The railway system in crisis

The crowded cars and delays are the order of the day. The country’s infrastructure is not suitable for supporting modern rail traffic. 72 percent of locomotives are over 40 years: concerns for safety and efficiency. The new Chinese cars, which cost 22 million dollars, cannot be used. Experts: “Urgent measures to avoid consequences in the economy and workers who move daily.”

Colombo () – The Sri Lanka rail system, which extends for about 1,500 kilometers, is in alarming conditions. Grooved trains and excessive delays are the order of the day. According to senior officials of the Railroad Department, added to the obsolete signage that hinders modern rail traffic, 72 percent of the locomotives are over 40 years old, which raises serious concerns about the safety and efficiency of the service. In addition, the wagons that were bought from China between 2007 and 2024, with a huge investment (more than 22 million dollars) cannot be used because they are not compatible with the Sri Lanka railways.

Specialists raise the need for immediate investments for the purchase of new locomotives, the improvement of signage systems and the adaptation of the roads to avoid frequent delays and operational failures. It is necessary to dismantle a system that allows the use of locomotives beyond its useful life and with an obsolete technology. Meanwhile, the new Chinese wagons – about a hundred – are stagnant in deposits and workshops due to brake problems. Machinists claim that the disc brake system is not compatible with the country’s roads and have refused to put them into circulation.

Together with obsolete technology, railroad officials point out another critical problem. “During peak hours, rail transport capacity is extremely lower than demand, which causes serious congestions and delays for thousands of workers who move daily.” In this situation, serious doubts about the country’s ability to manage their transport needs are raised, since the demand for rail services grows every year. “The future of the Sri Lanka rail system, a vital transport network for passengers and merchandise is worrying.”

In Colombo, rail congestion during peak hours is reaching critical levels, and therefore “corrective” interventions are essential to guarantee trips. “As the Railroad Department does not have the resources to face these problems and deal with the maintenance of the infrastructure, it is essential to take urgent measures to prevent the rail system from deteriorating, with serious consequences for the economy and passengers,” they told Asianews Engineers Neville Kalupahana and Oshantha Mendis.

“Neighborhood countries are making great advances in rail development, while old engines, the deterioration of the roads and obsolete technology mean that Sri Lanka has been left behind the rest of the southern Asia,” added the specialists. “The railway department does not yet have a comprehensive plan to face these problems, while workers who travel daily expect the government to take the necessary measures to avoid a large -scale crisis in the Sri Lanka rail network.”

Meanwhile, 90 out of 100 Chinese trains cars are standing due to problems in the brake system. The compartments have been abandoned in the deposits of Dematagoda, Maligawatta, Jaffna and Anuradhapura. The cars cost 22,105,200 dollars and were financed with a loan in favorable conditions of the Chinese government. Only between 2007 and 2019 were used for the transport of passengers in the railway lines of Polgahawela, Bangadeniya, Baticaloa and Jaffna. Then, due to problems with the brake system, they were out of use, and now they are full of cobwebs, with the seats covered with dust.