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Putting trains back on track

By Randima Attygalle
Government authorities face the Herculean task of rebuilding the infrastructure of the tsunami affected areas of the country, the railways in particular having taken a heavy toll.

Recalling the day of the train tragedy, General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways, Priyal De Silva, said, " Having stopped five south bound trains, it was unfortunate that we could not pass on the warning to the driver of the ill-fated Matara train despite continuous calls made to the Ambalangoda station from the Colombo Control Room. "When the message was passed on it was too late as the train had already departed Ambalangoda.

The next option was to stop the train at Kahawa. By this time the driver himself had noted that he was running on an amber signal and the next stop indicated red not because another train was approaching but because water had swept across the track.

"When the train reached Thelwatte, a passenger had called on his mobile phone to the control room in Colombo informing them that they were stranded and unable to get to town. Since I was also in the control office at that time, I immediately rang the Air Force in Colombo and then their Koggala base to inform them," he said.

Mr. De Silva said that despite several attempts made by the Station Master at Hikkaduwa to reach the scene of devastation in Thelwatte, he was prevented from doing so by the Police. "When the Head Guard of the train, Mr. Karunathilake requested the Meetiyagoda Police Station to transmit a message to Colombo about the situation, it was not communicated to us," Mr. De Silva said.

Talking about the need for a modernised communication and signalling system, Mr. De Silva says that for the past ten years, requests by him and his predecessors have fallen on deaf ears and no funds have been allocated in this regard. Presently trains operate on a colour light signalling system and that would not function if any damage was caused to the track. In the case of a cyclone, the track is patrolled by railway officials with a red flag signalling the train to stop.

"The railway communication system in Sri Lanka is archaic. Modern systems in many foreign countries provide for continuous communication between the main control unit and the guards and driver,” he says.

Reconstruction work is now being carried out in the aftermath of the tsunami, Mr. De Silva said, adding that trains now operate up to Kalutara South. Four bridges between Katukurunda and Payagala South that were washed away along with the track are now being brought back to their earlier alignment The tracks are being re-laid. The track between Payagala South and Aluthgama is to be relaid by the end of this month. From the southern end, the track from Matara to Weligama has been repaired. Tracks between Aluthgama and Weligama will be repaired by four engineers with a workforce allocated to each. The earthwork has also been washed away and the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau, State Development and Construction Corporation and State Engineering Corporation are restoring it.

Mr. De Silva added that the Aluthgama- Galle railway will be reconstructed within two months and by end February they hope to reconstruct the track up to Matara. "We have also decided to double-track the line up to Matara. Double tracking was available only up to Kalutara before the disaster.”

The track between Induruwa and Gintota was severely damaged and has to be brought back to its former alignment. "The area between Galle and Katugoda was badly hit and the bridge is destroyed. So is the track between Ahangama and Weligama," explained Mr. De Silva.

"The reconstruction work is estimated to cost Rs. Eight billion and will be allocated through the Treasury. Countries such as Netherlands and France have shown interest in reconstruction work and all foreign aid in this regard will be channelled via the Treasury."

Asked whether the tracks will be relocated, Mr. De Silva said, " In the short term we have to restore the services as soon as possible as many people travel daily to Colombo from places like Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa and if we divert the tracks passengers will be inconvenienced."

A policy decision should be taken to acquire new land if they are to relocate the tracks. At the same time people would also have to be relocated. "Most of the passengers in these areas live one or two kilometres from the station and if we are to relocate the tracks further away from the sea as a safety measure, people in the town should also be relocated as a train has to be safe and at the same time passenger-friendly," explained Mr. De Silva.

Mr. De Silva pointed out the pressing need for a 'recovery unit' irrespective of the natural disaster. "When the floods occurred in Ratnapura, I was President elect of the Institute of Engineers and I advised the government to have a special disaster mitigation unit. However it has still not found its place," he said.

Most developed countries have this system. "For instance when a railway accident occurs in India, it's not the railway authorities that come to the scene but the recovery unit. Unlike ordinary people, a disaster mitigation unit is professionally competent to rescue survivors, recover bodies and clear debris."

Saved

The Kandy- Matara train was stopped at Panadura. Had it proceeded it would have gone down at Pinwatta.
The Panadura bound train from Colombo was stopped at Ratmalana.
The train coming from Matara to Vavuniya was stopped at Kamburugamuwa. Had it proceeded, it would have gone down at Unawatuna.
Two more trains were stopped at Manampitiya and Kantale.
In the case of the train heading for Matara from Galle, the Head Guard Aloka Bopage of his own accord contacted Mr. de Silva that he was unable to proceed as water was flowing on to the track. Permission was granted to back the train up to the Galle tunnel.

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