12 September 2023 02:02 pm Views - 2135
The Railways Department must bear the responsibility for the sudden death of the Katubedda Technical College student, Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters' Union (SLRSMU) president Sumedha Somaratne said.
He told the media today that the executive officers of the department had opportunities to streamline the railway services.
The Railways Department has the ability to update the railway services and the executive officers are capable of assigning more trains. They used to assign more trains and provide transport facilities when Station Masters were on strike," he said.
If more trains are assigned, people do not need to travel on the roof of the compartments. Trade unions have the authority to launch trade union actions, but the Railways Department has the opportunity to assign more trains for the people.
"As the SLRSMU, we will not support the ongoing trade union action of the Sri Lanka Railways Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Union. We also have issues, but this is not the time to fulfill our demands," he added.
The 18-year-old engineering student of the Moratuwa University who was travelling on the roof of the Kandy-Colombo train died after falling off the train at Horape.
The deceased was identified as W.W.I.D. Perera from the Moragoda area in Gampaha.
A senior Railway Department official said an investigation is to be held into the death.
He said it is believed that the young man may have fallen after hitting a tree or a cable while on the roof of the train.
The official further said that people are using the train dangerously due to the limited services due to the strike by the train drivers this morning. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)