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| Tuesday, 28 October 2003 |
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by Rajmi Manatunga A bus crashed into an express train in Ovakanda near Ratgama on the coastal railway line yesterday holding up traffic and causing long delays in the morning train operations. This is the third such accident reported within a month."The bus did not have any passengers. It had crashed with a Colombo bound express train from Galle around 6 am," the Railway Main Control Room said. The bus driver escaped by jumping out in the nick of time. The bus had been on its way to the main stand at the time of the accident. The driver had failed to stop at the crossing since there were no barriers to warn of the approaching train. According to the Trains Control Room, the accident which reduced the bus to wreck, had also damaged the train's guard van. Protection at railway level crossings in Sri Lanka is provided either by erecting barriers with labourers to operate them or setting up electric warning systems. However, out of the 960 level crossings in various parts of the island, only 200 are properly guarded while the other 700 lack sufficient means of protecting pedestrians and vehicles. Unprotected level crossings are the cause of a series of fatal train accidents during the past few weeks, the coastal line being the most vulnerable. |
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