Sri Lanka Railways moves to restore coastal line services within hours of Sagarika derailment

Sri Lanka Railways said train services on the coastal railway line were expected to return to normal after 6:25 PM today (April 24), following the derailment of the Sagarika train at Wadduwa.

According to information released by Sri Lanka Railways today, plans were underway to resume train operations on at least one track along the coastal line by this evening.

At the time of the update, train services on the coastal route were operating only between Colombo and Panadura, and between Matara and Kalutara.

Sri Lanka Railways also said a special bus service would be operated from this afternoon in coordination with the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) and the National Transport Commission (NTC) to help passengers travel between Panadura and South Kalutara railway stations.

The special bus service was scheduled to operate between 4:15 PM and 6:25 PM today.

Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake said the Railway Department acted quickly after the derailment and provided transport facilities for passengers who were travelling on the Sagarika train and the Ruhunu Kumari train.

In a social media statement issued today, the Minister said those passengers were able to travel to Colombo Fort through a connecting train that arrived near the Wadduwa Railway Station.

He also said a special bus service was arranged for passengers of the Rajarata Rejina train, which was travelling from Beliatta to Anuradhapura, to travel from South Kalutara Railway Station to Panadura Railway Station.

Train facilities were then provided for those passengers to continue their journey from Panadura to Anuradhapura.

The disruption occurred at around 7:10 AM today when the rear coaches of the Sagarika dual-powered train set, which was travelling from Beliatta to Maradana, derailed at the Wadduwa Railway Station and blocked the railway track.

---

---