By Rathindra Kuruwita

The primary reason for train derailments is inadequate maintenance of railway engines, tracks, and compartments, the Railway Department has said.Railways Deputy General Manager (DGM), N. J. Indipolage, on Friday, attributed the D\epartment’s inability to maintain engines, tracks, and compartments to a shortage of staff and spare parts.

“The rolling stock and tracks cannot be properly maintained due to a severe shortage of personnel, particularly technicians and supervisors,” he said.

“There are frequent derailments on the upcountry railway track, as it has many imbalances. This is due to our inability to carry out scheduled maintenance,” he said.

The railway DGM highlighted that, given the double bends on the upcountry track, shorter compartments are needed. “However, observation carriages are long. We have attempted to address this issue by making certain modifications to the trains,” he added.

In 2023, the Railway Department reported a workforce shortfall of 7,000. While the Department’s cadre is set at 21,000, it currently has only 14,000 staff members.