Railways sidetracks existing system for costly new master plan

Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) intends undertaking a feasibility study this year, to prepare a Master Plan for a computer based Railway Management System (RMS), utilising ADB funds, while a similar system begun in 2013 has been neglected and allowed to become dysfunctional.

The ‘ Train Traf f i c Optimization System’ ( TTOS) developed by former Re s e a r c h & Development Officer of SLR, Anura Pushpakumara Kasthoori (46), had run efficiently for more than a year on the Colombo FortMatara line. However, since 2015, the system has been neglected and the SLR will be spending on a new feasibility study.

Mr Kasthoori retired from the SLR in 2016, on medical grounds, following a road accident says, his project was undertaken after a great deal of research, with four papers on the project published internationally. “It is prudent to develop on the existing system in place, than spend millions on a new feasibility study,” he said.

The Prime Minister's office had queried from the SLR late last year, as to why the existing system was not being utilised, to which the SLR had replied that the Cabinet had approved the implementation of a GPS based Train Tracking & Operating Information System (TOIS) through the Research & Development Centre of the Defence Ministry.

“A feasibility study for the preparation of a Master Plan under the ADB will be undertaken in 2018, and its consultancy implanted through a grant from the ADB,” the SLR said.

There was no reference to the existing system. Instead, the SLR said the feasibility study will identify the need for IT based management information system, enterprise resource planning system and IT based accounting and maintenance management system, to support the institutional development plan.

The Defence Ministry has quoted a sum of over Rs 6,341 million for Phase I of the project, to provide GPS tracking for 46 locomotives, train operating information system software development, train control center operating and display system etc.

The TTOS was part of the RMS mooted by Mr Kasthoori, as a research proposal he submitted in 2012, to the National Research Council under the Science & Research Ministry.