By Secrets of the Railway and the Vegetables That Never Arrived
For over 160 years, Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) has been a symbol of heritage and connectivity. Yet, beneath this legacy lies a system plagued by inefficiencies, failed experiments, and financial mismanagement. Perhaps one of the most baffling tales whispered among railway employees is the mysterious case of the Rs. 200 million vegetable transport project—an ambitious venture that never even left the station.
A Railway in Crisis
The National Audit Office’s (NAO) recently tabled report on SLR’s 2023 performance paints a grim picture. Of the 122,426 scheduled train journeys last year, only 36,771 departed on time. Meanwhile, 10,531 journeys were outright canceled. This means a staggering 70% of train journeys in 2023 were either delayed or never happened at all.
The audit further highlights that despite its ability to handle 6% of overall passenger traffic and 6.5% of goods transport, SLR has failed to increase its share. What’s worse, Sri Lanka’s railway network has shrunk over the decades, reducing from 1,521 kilometers in 1934 to 1,465 kilometers in 2023, despite the addition of 32 kilometers with the Beliatta extension.
A Rs. 200 Million Experiment Gone Nowhere
Among the department’s financial missteps, one of the most infamous is the Rs. 200 million allocated in the 2022 interim budget to transport vegetables by train. More than Rs. 198 million was spent repairing five railway compartments for this purpose, yet the project never saw the light of day.
Funds were distributed among four sub-departments, but three of them ended up spending nearly Rs. 97 million—almost half the allocation—on unrelated activities. Despite this, SLR maintains that the money was spent on initiatives with long-term benefits. The irony? No one has been held accountable for this costly debacle.
Mounting Issues and Financial Gaps
The audit further reveals numerous financial and operational setbacks:
Unapproved Bonuses: Since 2004, employees have been receiving unauthorized bonuses based on outdated salary calculations. The required bi-annual review of the bonus scheme has not taken place since 2002.
Online Booking Woes: The railway’s digital ticketing system is riddled with flaws. Canceled tickets do not become available for rebooking, leaving many trains running with empty seats.
Wasted Resources: Thirteen Romanian-made railway carriages have remained idle for over two years at Jaffna station. Sixty-nine additional carriages and wagons are rusting away at various railway stations.
Dysfunctional Locomotives: Ten M11-Class engines, each costing Rs. 765 million under an Indian line of credit, were procured in 2019-2020. By late 2023, five were already out of service, and none had been repaired.
Neglected Railway Quarters: 132 government railway quarters near five railway stations remain abandoned, many without electricity or water.
A Financial Balancing Act
Despite its problems, SLR reported an income of Rs. 16,079 million in 2023—a 45% increase from 2022. This revenue boost was largely due to passengers turning to trains after bus fares soared. However, with total expenditure hitting Rs. 38,983 million, including Rs. 27,840 million in recurrent costs, financial sustainability remains a distant dream.
The Inevitable Question: Who is Accountable?
The NAO’s findings expose a troubling reality—Sri Lanka Railways continues to operate without accountability. Mismanaged funds, neglected assets, and failed projects like the vegetable transport experiment highlight a deeper structural crisis.
For many railway employees, the ‘vegetables that never arrived’ have become a symbol of a much larger issue—a system where inefficiency and mismanagement are tolerated without consequence. Until meaningful reforms take place, the tracks of Sri Lanka’s railway system will remain riddled with delays, abandoned projects, and unanswered questions.
