200 die in 2022: Railways run out of steam to stop track tragedies
Failure in the strict implementation of trespass laws, faulty signals, unmanned level crossings, an unnecessarily high number of level crossings, and public negligence led to about 200 train-accident-related deaths last year, according to officials.
However, recent tragedies on tracks indicate that very few corrective measures are being taken.
This week, a 16-year-old Kandy schoolboy died when a moving train hit him near the Mulgampola flyover. He was walking along the railway line while in a phone conversation.
Last month, CCTV footage showing a car stalled in the middle of a railway crossing and the driver desperately struggling seconds before being hit by the Beliatte-bound train shocked millions of viewers on social media.
The accident in Koggala took away the life of a young father, 30-year-old Amesh de Silva and his 80-year-old grandmother. The impact caused the car to be dragged for about 400 metres. People who rushed to the scene struggled to retrieve the bodies trapped inside the severely mangled car.
Another rail-accident victim was 25-year-old Ravindu Sahan, a newly married man from Dehiwala. His death came as a shock to many, especially to his large circle of friends. Standing near a rail line close to the Dehiwala train station, he was giving directions to an Uber driver when a passing train hit him. He died while on admission to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.
This week, two severely injured persons were rushed to the District General Hospital, Matale after their three-wheeler hit an unprotected rail crossing near the artificial hockey pitch in Matale.
A similar incident took place at Habaraduwa in Galle in December last year. The life of a Russian tourist who was holidaying here with her young daughter was taken away while the three-wheeler they were in was passing through an unprotected level crossing.
According to Sri Lanka Railways, close to 200 people died from train-related accidents last year. The statistics covered deaths due to trespassing rail tracks, suicide, and collision at level crossings. More than 400 people suffered minor to severe injuries.
Last year saw 94 collisions between road vehicles and trains at level crossings and 342 instances involving road vehicles causing damage to railway gates.
Railways General Manager W.A.D.S. Gunasinghe said a policy decision was made recently not to grant permission to put up new level crossings.
"Political influence has played a major role in the increased number of level crossings," he said.
He said though the fine was increased from Rs. 5 to Rs. 2,000 for those trespassing on railway tracks, this has not been implemented.
“We have to admit there are issues with rail crossing warning lights due to power outages, low battery, and circuit failures. Due to the COVID pandemic lockdown in China and the economic crisis, there were delays in importing the needed equipment to fix the defects and undertake new installations. Currently, we are involved in fixing non-functional signals but motorists should be more vigilant,” the Railways GM said.
Commenting on a common belief that road vehicles stall in the middle of a level crossing when an oncoming train is close, Mr. Gunasinghe said, “There is no scientific evidence that vehicles tend to stall at rail crossings. It happens largely because drivers get panicky when they see an approaching train.”
He urged holidaymakers during the New Year vacation to be cautious when they approach railway crossings.
Railways Chief Engineer (Signal and Telecommunication) Chinthaka Jayasekare said that of the 1,162 rail crossings across the country, about 800 had been identified as accident-prone. Bell and light warnings have been installed in 438 level crossings and 300 with barriers and warning boards.
The coastal railway line of 153 km has the highest number of 275 level crossings. This can cause overlapping of signals. He said that areas like Wadduwa have a level crossing every 10 kilometres.
“We fix the distance warning length from about 800m to one kilometre. Motorists are unaware that a fine of Rs. 25,000 can be imposed on them if they defy rail crossing warnings, bells and lights,” he said.
Mr. Jayasekare also admitted that the warning light system failed due to defects, power cuts and a low-battery charge.
“The most effective method of protecting rail lines is manning them. But there is a problem. The Railways pay Rs. 22,500 for three workers (three shifts) at a railway crossing a month. This amounts to Rs. 7,500 a month which is insufficient. Paying them a higher salary is more profitable than spending millions on repairs to a train engine after an accident,” he said.