Sri Lankan railway union strike leaves several commuters stranded
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Sri Lankan railway union strike leaves several commuters stranded

A railway union strike halted most train services across Sri Lanka on July 10, left tens of thousands of passengers stranded or crammed into the few overcrowded trains that continued to operate. The strike, initiated by the Station Masters' Union, was called to demand the filling of vacancies and the resolution of other administrative issues. Hundreds of scheduled train journeys were cancelled due to the strike, resulting in the few operational trains being dangerously packed with commuters. Local TV stations broadcast images of people risking their lives to reach school and work, clinging precariously to the sides of the trains and balancing on rain-slicked footboards. Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena condemned the strike, criticising the union for taking what he described as arbitrary action while the government was already addressing their concerns. During a similar strike in September, two passengers lost their lives while traveling on overcrowded trains: one was struck on the head by an overhead railway bridge while riding on the roof of a train, and the other fell from a footboard and succumbed to his injuries. Sri Lanka's train services have long been plagued by substandard conditions, including poorly maintained compartments and tracks, largely due to years of mismanagement and lack of proper planning. Frequent and sudden strikes have only worsened the situation, causing significant delays for most train services. (Source: ET)

A railway union strike halted most train services across Sri Lanka on July 10, left tens of thousands of passengers stranded or crammed into the few overcrowded trains that continued to operate. The strike, initiated by the Station Masters' Union, was called to demand the filling of vacancies and the resolution of other administrative issues. Hundreds of scheduled train journeys were cancelled due to the strike, resulting in the few operational trains being dangerously packed with commuters. Local TV stations broadcast images of people risking their lives to reach school and work, clinging precariously to the sides of the trains and balancing on rain-slicked footboards. Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena condemned the strike, criticising the union for taking what he described as arbitrary action while the government was already addressing their concerns. During a similar strike in September, two passengers lost their lives while traveling on overcrowded trains: one was struck on the head by an overhead railway bridge while riding on the roof of a train, and the other fell from a footboard and succumbed to his injuries. Sri Lanka's train services have long been plagued by substandard conditions, including poorly maintained compartments and tracks, largely due to years of mismanagement and lack of proper planning. Frequent and sudden strikes have only worsened the situation, causing significant delays for most train services. (Source: ET)

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code