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Derailed
View(s):The number of trains being derailed has grown recently.
Story and pix by Reka Tharangani Fonseka and Priyanka Samaraweera
The ‘Yal Devi’ derailed between Galgamuwa and Abanpola and the Badulla – Galle train derailed as well.
Sources within the Railway Department blamed the substandard nature of wood used to manufacture railway sleepers as being one of the causes behind the recent spate of train derailments.
During an earlier era, wooden sleepers were built from satinwood or ‘Palu’ trees.
These sleepers were stronger, and lasted longer, sources within the Railway Department said. Today the sleepers are being made with pine and turpentine wood, which is not as strong and tends to deteriorate quickly.
The General Manager Railways Dilantha Fernando told the Sunday Times that while he could not confirm whether substandard wood had been used in turning out railway sleepers, he stressed that all derailments had occurred at places where wooden railway sleepers were in place.To face this situation the Railway Department is in the process of replacing the wooden railway sleepers with sleepers made of concrete.
Mr Fernando add, that the removal of the wooden sleepers and replacing them with concrete sleepers had to be carried out manually by teams of workers. The sleepers are heavy and had to be aligned perfectly. As such, it is time consuming and is one of the reasons why concrete sleepers have not been used to cover the entire rail network, he said
This train derailed at the Maradana-Orugodawatte Railway yard
A number of compartments toppled into the waters of the Thalawewa when this train derailed
The GM railways pointed out that in all instances trains derailed in areas where wooden sleepers were in use
Workers at the Maradana-Orugodawatte yard inspect the derailment site