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Ticket racket suspected as 10,000 train seats booked online in ten minutes
View(s):Complaints against travel agents buying additional tickets
By Senuka Jayakody
With some 10,000 train tickets being sold in ten minutes after online counters opened under a new one-month valid period, suspicions have arisen over a ticket racket, prompting the railway authorities to consider new modes of reservations.
Sri Lanka Railways Deputy General Manager (Commercial) V. S. Polwattage said the new methods would include QR codes, vending machines, and even a card system. This is in addition to the online service through the usual telecommunication system. 
He said the rush to buy tickets could be due to trains becoming a preferred mode of transport for most people in view of the fuel crisis.
On September 10, Sri Lanka Railways announced that from September 13 tickets could be bought one month ahead of the travel date. Earlier, the period was two weeks.
With the new change coming into operation, 60 percent of the tickets were issued online and 40 percent over the counter. However, following a request from the Station Masters’ Union, the authorities agreed to set aside 60 percent of the tickets for counter sales.
The union’s request followed complaints of irregularity in the sale of tickets, with some travel agents being accused of buying additional tickets and selling them for higher prices.
Railways DGM Polwattage said that at present one individual could buy a maximum of five tickets after producing the National Identity Card while a refund scheme was also in place in the event of cancellations.
“No matter the restrictions, there is always the possibility of black market dealers playing outside the system. However, overall, the online system is a success,” he added.
Mr. Polwattage said the department lacked infrastructure facilities to meet the rising demand which required the change of timetables and other arrangements.
Station Masters’ Union leader Sumedha Somaratne said Sri Lanka did not possess the necessary infrastructure to operate an extensive railway service, even if resources were available.
Take, for instance, the Jaffna train. Given the high demand, it should carry more compartments, but this could not be done because, in one-track stations, the train could encounter problems, he said.
Acknowledging the online system was popular, Mr. Somaratne said he felt the rush for online ticket reservations was quite abnormal.
The union leader, however, said the demand was also due to the fuel crisis and travel by train being a less costly option. He said the biggest demand was for the Badulla train followed by the Jaffna train which was popular during long weekends.
Asked about the allegation that some travel agents bought online tickets to sell at a higher price, he said “We cannot impose barriers on it, especially with a primitive online system.”
Transport State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna told the Sunday Times he believed the demand for ticket reservations was from local tourists.
“To meet the high demand, we are expecting to increase the number of turns a train does,” he said, pointing out the success of the online system.
Ashendra Dissanayake, who is the Station Master of the popular tourist destination of Ella, said the day on which 10,000 tickets were booked within 10 minutes, all the 332 tickets for a journey in the popular Ella Odyssey too were booked at an extra high speed.
The station master said the Government only met the demands of local tourists but not foreign tourists, who wanted a special tourist train from Kandy to Ella.
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