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Railway, main mode of transport for wage earners - Minister Marapana

Defence, Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation Minister Tilak Marapana praised the employees attached to the Ratmalana Railway Mechanical Workshops and the Sri Lanka Railway German Technical Training Institute for their competence and dedication to service and described them as a national asset. The Minister also assured them of his continued support to ensure their future welfare.

Minister Marapana gave this assurance when he visited the two institutions recently to gain a first-hand knowledge of their activities and the facilities available to their employees and their working conditions.

Minister Marapana visited the two institutions in the company of Ministrry Advisor Hema Manatunga, Railway General Manager Priyal de Silva and Chief Mechanical Engineer P.P. Wijesekera, Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer S.M. Abeywardena and Project Engineer R.M. Tillakeratne.

Senior employees of the Railway Workshops said that Minister Tilak Marapana is the only Transport Minister who had shown a keen interest in worker welfare by spending several hours inspecting the workshops and inquiring about working conditions and the facilities available to the employees.

At the Sri Lanka-German Railway Technical Training Institute Minister Marapana observed that over 1100 youth were being trained annually. Some of were absorbed by the Railway Department itself and the rest obtained employment in the private sector or set up enterprises of their own.

He requested the General Manager of Railways to expand this training programme to increase the intake of youth for training.

The Railway workshop complex at Ratmalana which was the largest of its kind in Asia consisted of 37 workshops and employed over 3000 workers.

The Minister spent several hours studying the various stages of locomotive repairs, carriage repairs, the foundry, machine shop, bogie shop, stores and had a close inter-action with the workers.

The Minister commissioned a newly built rail-bus service to mark his visit.

He said that railway in Sri Lanka was the main mode of transport for the wage earners and school-children and as such it had to be further strengthened to serve the people.

Minister Marapana emphasised that the rail tracks are in very poor condition. In order to strengthen the rail service the track had to be completely overhauled and additional coaches should be provided. "I have already taken steps to improve the conditions of the rail tracks," the Transport Minister said.

The train service should run without accidents for the benefit of the public, the Minister added.

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