Sri Lanka Railway Network Additional Information
Initially constructed by the British in 1864 and dubbed Ceylon Government Railways, the modern day
Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) is operated by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Transport and serves as the core
link between the country's seaports and major inland cities. The rail transport in Sri Lanka is mainly
aimed at passenger transport while cargo transport has taken a decline over the past decade.
Main rail transport activities take place in Colombo suburban areas for commuter transport. This
includes a radius of some 30 kilometers from Colombo. GoSL subsidizes passenger train service to
afford workers to commute to and from work in support of the economy. There are some 329commuter trains, of which some 250 trains operate in the south and 50 on long distance routes.
Rail Infrastructure
The general rail infrastructure is in serious need of rehabilitation. Most of the system was originally
laid as Broad Gauge at 5'6" with a smaller portion laid as Narrow Gauge at 2'6”, but the main tracks
were raised to Dual Gauge in 1991.
Prior to the tsunami the state of the rail network was already suffering from the following problems:
Insufficient number and poor performance of the rolling stock, decaying and weak rail track, an outdated centralized traffic control and communications system and poor worker productivity. This in turn
has resulted in high unreliability, poor punctuality, deteriorated quality and increasing safety risks.
Upgrades to the entire system are long overdue and as a result suburban trains are incredibly limited
in their speed.
Rail Network
The entirety of the network includes 1,449 km of track. Thirty percent of operational track is under
speed restrictions, 10% is restricted to only 10 mph and every part of the track presents a significant
safety risk. For example there is 95 km length of railway track and 32 stations and halts within the
Southern Region.
The average station spacing is 2 km in Colombo District and 3 km in Southern Province.
The Northern Line has a track from Polgahawela to Vavuniya stretching 184 miles and a track from
Vavuniya to Kankasanturai measuring 160 miles. The Talaimannar Line is 106 miles; the Batticaloa
Line (Colombo, Maho to Batticaloa) is 217 miles and the Trincomalee Line (Galoya Junction to
Trincomalee) is 70 miles. The present status of the northern and eastern sector is in poor shape.
Of the total network of passenger lines, only 391 miles of 4200 miles are operational. Thirty percent of
operational track is under speed restrictions, 10% is restricted to only 10 mph and every part of the
track presents a significant safety risk.
Customer service in the North & Eastern sector is very poor which makes it even less attractive
alternative for VA services.
Reconstruction in the North comes down to restoring intercity services by way of increasing mobility
between the North and the South, thereby increasing convenience, efficiency, tourism and economic
benefits. Local service to the Jaffna peninsula must also be restored; freight services from North to
South must also be addressed in order to transport essential items to needed areas as well as
industrial and agricultural development.
Reconstruction of the North means developing the Vavuniya-Kankasanturai line and the
Madavachchiya-Talaimannar line. Other proposed reconstruction programs for the North include
reopening the Galgamuwa Quarry and extending the current railway up to Omanthai.
Development plans for the East involve rehabilitating existing tracks, thereby removing the cautions
and safety problems plaguing the system. An upgrade of the infrastructure is much needed, most
importantly removing the bottlenecks and increasing the current speed to a more productive 100
km/hr.
As of February 21 2005, the track between Colombo Fort and Matara commenced operations again,
having been successfully repaired to pre-tsunami levels.
Cargo trains
Information not available, because of constant changing circumstances in the setup of the Cargo
trains.
The use of the Sri Lankan Railways to transport cargo has declined drastically in recent years due to
the poor railway infrastructure. The track and rolling stock have been neglected for years and there is
a lack of mechanical handling equipment including container-lifting equipment. In addition there is a
shortage of storage capacity at major logistical hubs.
Rail cargo is operational, though in insignificant measures, and is currently limited to the transport of
fuel (including aviation gas) and bagged wheat from the flourmill in Trincomalee to Colombo.
There is a six-year plan to reorganize the rail operations in Sri Lanka emphasizing revenue generating
cargo transport. An “Open Access Policy” is in place, in which increased commercial cargo use of the
railways is encouraged. Out of 130 operational locomotives 10 are used for cargo transport. There are
some 376 BCD cargo wagons of 45-t capacity each. 120 of these require repair.
Railways are usually competitive on distances exceeding 500km. Sri Lanka is a small country where
any cargo leaving Colombo by road can reach its destination within the day. Road trucks deliver their
loads direct to the warehouses and the road transporters are responsible for the loading and
offloading of vehicles. By contrast, SLR service is slow, does not supply cargo handlers and in most
instances delivers cargo only to stations which necessitates additional transshipment arrangements.
Moreover, railway bridges are old and have not been designed for container traffic.