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Slow train to disaster By Nilika
Kasturisinghe, Late attendance
in offices and schools is soon going to be a common occurence if
the 'go slow' continues in the Railway Department with poorly maintained
tracks, increasing the chances of derailment. Despite the risks
and inconvenience people opt to use the rail due to cheaper fares.
A bus trip from Colombo to Gampaha would cost about Rs. 20 whereas
by train it would be five rupees. The postponement
of a scheduled meeting with Railway officials and trade unions at
Temple Trees on Tuesday, triggered off a sick note campaign by one
of the Railway trade unions resulting in the 'go slow'.The restriction
in speed dropped to 30 mph (48 kmph) on average. The speed limit
had already seen a gradual decline from 45 to 35 mph (72 to 56 kmph).
Beyond Nawalapitiya, due to the incline on the hilly roads the speed
restriction has been lowered to15 kmph. The sick note
campaign, which began on February 11, will climax in a massive demonstration
on Tuesday when 25 trade unions comprising 15,000 members will take
to the streets in front of the Transport Ministry. Twenty five
trade unions joined hands to form one organization which came into
being on January 27, to voice the deficiencies in the Railway Department
in order to safeguard Railway workers' rights and Railway properties. One of the
main reasons for the agitation is that the government has not made
budgetary allocations to develop the railways. On Friday Transport
Minister Tilak Marapana held discussions with Finance Minister K.N.
Choksy to obtain urgent funds for urgent repairs, but that would
not help to resolve the crisis (See separate story). Unionists charge
that no funds had been allocated for the 'New Works' of the Railways
Department which means that no funds could be spent for replacement
of any outdated items such as sleepers for railway tracks- a basic
necessity in day-to-day maintenance of the tracks. For instance
each rail compartment requires brake blocks each costing about Rs.
1000. Sixteen brake blocks are required for four wheels. A train
with eight coaches requires 128 such brake blocks. A train running
from Maradana to Alutgama makes about 25 stops. If this train makes
a return journey it would make about 50 stops. On every trip it
makes, half the brake blocks are wasted, costing Rs. 128,000 to
run one slow train for three turns.This is not taking into account
the cost of general wear and tear, glasses, seats, cleaning, adjusting
brakes, realigning wheels, and wastage that take place in the brake
box etc. The Motive
Power Sub Department which handles the maintenance of railway vehicles,
locomotives, carriages etc is handicapped due to the shortage in
funds. Chief Locomotive Foreman H.L.R. Fonseka said there is a drastic
drop in the allocation for 2003 which is approximately 1.8 million
compared to the Rs. 40 million in 2001 and 90 million in 2002. This time only
the recurrent funds were paid while the capital account was withheld,
he said. The Railways
presently owes the CPC Rs. 600 million. CPCs Deputy General Manager
Finance,W.W. Gunasekera, said by the end of this month the Railway
Department had to pay Rs. 200 million and by end March it had to
clear all outstanding debts. Thereafter the credit limit would be
115 million. Incidentally the Railway incurs more expenditure than
what is recovered through passenger fares. While a ticket from Ratmalana
to Fort costs Rs. 3.50, the running cost is four times this amount. Trade Unionists
charge that the crisis has occurred due to the lack of a national
plan with long-term objectives. Each time a new Transport Minister
takes over, new projects are begun to suit their political agendas
and there is no continuance of work already begun. They also charge
that the government was intentionally ignoring the maintenance of
the Railways to quicken its alleged privatization. "The government
has deliberately run the railway to the ground in a move to privatize,"
former Transport Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told The Sunday Times.
"Every engine, every carriage has to be serviced and there
has been a big cut in the budget." Outside consultancy
services are sought while we have engineers within the department.
This will slowly lead to full privatization." According to
Mr. Manawadu, US $ 200,000 was paid to International Rail Consultants
for the consultancy services for rehabilitation of the railway line
along the 30 km track from Valaichenai to Batticaloa. Cabinet approval
had also been granted on October 23, 2002 to select a domestic consultant. While qualified
engineers of the Railway Department are left to idle, pensioners
are appointed as consultants, Mr. Manawadu charged. Funds amounting
to Rs. 258 million were received from a Japanese lending agency
to develop the Railway Quarry at Ambepussa. However, work has come
to a halt with Rs. 171 million remaining unaccounted for, he said. "One main
reason for the rapid downfall of the Railway Department is the corruption
that has been going on within the department at higher levels",
W. A. D. Piyasena, President of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Dumriya Sevaka
Sangamaya said. "One example
for this is the wooden sleepers which were imported at a cost of
over 3000 rupees each. They are now lying at the Maradana Railway
Yard as they are not suitable for use", Mr. Piyasena said. Massive outstanding
debts, another reason for lack of funds is likely to be given as
an excuse for privatization, trade unions allege. "In spite
of outstanding debts senior officials haven't considered the reopening
of the Railway Workshop in Ratmalana which produced hardware and
other accessories needed for the Railway Department", President
of the Sri Lanka Railway Workers Association, D.M.D. Abeyratne said.
Now the Department has to buy all its hardware from the private
sector at a rate much higher than its production cost, he said. In recent times,
frequent trade union action by railway employees has put commuters
in much difficulty. The curtailment of several financial benefits
such as overtime payments and travel allowances has led to the many
trade union actions. This situation
has prompted employees to stick to normal work schedules avoiding
overtime which has slowed down the day-to-day functions. Moreover, productivity
on the railway system has decreased due to the acute loss of manpower.
With no recruitments being made and the existing vacancies being
suppressed by a government circular last year, officials complain
of the burden on existing employees. The cadre requirement is increasing
as people retire and no replacements take place. No recruitment
has been made except in the case of engine drivers and guards. In
some sectors recruitment has not been made since 1993. General Manager Railways, Priyal de Silva when contacted declined to comment on the issue. Unpaid bills, unused lands Like many other
state institutions the Railway while being in the red is also saddled
with big bills which other state bodies owe to it. The Auditor
General has revealed that Sathosa storage rents running into more
than 23 million for eight stores in Colombo were yet unclaimed by
the Railway. About Rs. 2.5 million is yet to be recovered from Puttlam
Cement for the transportation of limestone. Internal auditors have
sent reminders on outstanding rent to be recovered from various
companies using the services of the Railways Department but no money
has come. A Railway Union
chief W. A. D. Piyasena said Railway land given on lease to the
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) in areas like Kandy, Hatton,
Badulla and Haputale did not generate a reasonable income as the
rates paid by the CPC have not been revised for 20 years. He and other
union leaders said the under utilisation or misuse of Railway assets
was one of the main reasons for the financial reversals. Railway supervisors
union treasurer H. L. R. Fonseka said the reservation land on either
side of the railway tracks, -which range from 33 feet to 66 feet,
had been taken over by shanty dwellers who did not pay a cent to
the Railway. Another union leader D. M. D. Abeyratne said vacant areas in main Railway Stations like Fort and Kandy should be used to set up sales outlets. Too little
too late? A committee has also been appointed to look into discrepancies in the allocation of funds under recurrent and capital expenditures. No money, no money The Sunday Times
spoke to State Transport Minister Upali Piyasoma regarding the rumble
in the Railway. Q - What steps
have you taken to resolve the go-slow campaign? A - The Railway
Department is facing a financial crisis and the workers too have
some problems. We are looking at the best possible ways to resolve
these. Q - Does the government take responsibility for the safety of train commuters ? A - Yes. Q - What is
the main problem in the Railway? A - On one
hand there is a problem regarding over time payments, and the employees
don't want to work. On the other hand the government is also facing
financial problems. Q - Is there
a plan to get funding from foreign countries? A -Certainly.
We are seeking funds for the maintenance of tracks, signals, carriages
and engines. We are talking to several countries and will take the
best offer. Australia, India, Rumania, and China have made offers.
We are looking particularly at an offer by India. Q - In recent
years many railway disasters have occurred and probe committees
appointed but most of it has gone under the tunnel. A - We don't
have money to implement some of those proposals. Q - They say
the tracks are bad but overloading could cause accidents. What have
you done to reduce the load? A - We need
more carriages but have no money to buy them. Q - Are you
planning to increase rail fares? A - No. Q - Is anyone
trying to cripple the Railways by cutting off funds to pave the
track for privatisation? A - No.
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