Rise in rail track deaths

Rasika Somarathna

Sri Lanka Railways will launch an awareness campaign to educate the public on the dangers of walking on railway tracks. Sri Lanka Railways General Manager, A G Mahanama said the number of accidents due to people using rail tracks is on the increase.

According to Mahanama, walking on railway tracks is illegal and dangerous. However, it is not forbidden to walk on tracks because many roads and pedestrian walkways do cross rail way tracks, he added.

He said it is important for the public to know that walking on rail tracks unnecessarily and over a long distance was a hazard. Sri Lanka railways is also looking at the possibility of equipping all unprotected level crossings with signal lights plus warning bells, he said. Mahanama said a proposal was being prepared in this regard and discussions were underway to obtain foreign funds to supplement the effort. According to him there are around 270 to 300 unprotected level crossings in the country.

Meanwhile, three persons were killed and one injured when they were knocked down by a train at the railway crossing near the Katunayake Free Trade Zone substation Sunday.

The four had attempted to cross the track while the train was approaching and had been knocked down.