Sri Lanka Railway has decided to reduce the Colombo-Kankesanthurai intercity express train service from daily operations to four days a week due to a shortage of power sets.
Under the revised schedule, effective July 10, the train departing Mount Lavinia at 5.15 a.m. and Colombo Fort at 5.45 a.m. for Kankesanthurai, along with the return service leaving Kankesanthurai at 1.50 p.m. for Mount Lavinia, will operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
The Yal Devi express is also no longer operating daily and currently runs on alternate days.
The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association said that, with the latest revision, there will be no morning train services from Colombo to Jaffna or Kankesanthurai on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The only train operating to Kankesanthurai on those days will be the Night Mail service departing Colombo at 8.00 p.m.
The Association said passengers using the Northern Railway Line are already facing significant inconvenience due to the shortage of trains.
It further alleged that the Sri Lanka Railway and the Ministry of Transport have yet to take adequate measures to address the ongoing shortage of power sets.
General Secretary of the association, Kasun Chamara Jayasekara, warned that the railway service disruptions could worsen if prompt action is not taken to resolve the issue. (Newswire)