Buses dumped by express train service

Raja Waidyasekara-Tissamaharama Special Corr.

With the ongoing development of the coastal belt railway, private sector bus operators have been greatly inconvenienced as a result of loss of their income.

They lament that the express train service is available from 4.55 am to 2.05 pm and as such, commuters prefer to travel by train rather bt bus in comfort. The trains are bound to Galle, Colombo, Vavuniya, Kandy etc.

According to the commuters, they are able to arrive in Colombo from Matara within two and a half (21/2) hours, while the train fare too is cheaper than the bus fare as it is Rs. 130 to travel by train from Matara to Colombo.