Sri Lanka Society of Transport and Logistics (SLSTL) has urged the government to drop plans to convert the country’s broad-gauge railway network to standard gauge. SLSTL, in a statement issued to the media, has emphasised that transformation was not a priority at the moment. The…
Sri Lanka Society of Transport and Logistics (SLSTL) has urged the government to drop plans to convert the country’s broad-gauge railway network to standard gauge. SLSTL, in a statement issued to the media, has emphasised that transformation was not a priority at the moment. The text of the statement: “The Sri Lanka Society of Transport and Logistics (SLSTL) has noted recent media reports that discussions are underway regarding the conversion of Sri Lanka’s railway network from broad gauge (1676 mm) to standard gauge (1435 mm). While any effort to improve railway services is welcome, SLSTL is unable to identify any urgent technical, operational, or economic justification for such a large-scale conversion at this time. More importantly, there are several other railway improvement projects that could deliver far greater benefits at a much lower cost. Our members have identified a number of serious concerns that should be carefully examined before any decision is taken. * Massive cost of replacing sleepers Sri Lanka Railways currently uses approximately 1.8 million concrete sleepers and about 600,000 wooden and steel sleepers. Converting the network would require replacing most of these. At current costs, sleeper replacement alone could exceed Rs. 50 billion. * Railway bridges would need modification Many existing railway bridges were designed for broad-gauge tracks. Conversion would require substantial modifications or complete replacement of some bridge structures. * Existing trains and wagons would become obsolete Most passenger coaches, locomotives, and freight wagons currently in service would no longer be compatible with the new track system and would need replacement, despite having many years of useful life remaining. * Maintenance facilities would need major upgrading Railway workshops, depots, and maintenance facilities across the country have been designed around broad-gauge operations. Significant investment would be required to modify these facilities. * Existing spare parts stocks could become redundant Large inventories of spare parts currently held by Sri Lanka Railways may become unusable, resulting in further financial losses. * Risk of fragmenting the railway network If only selected railway lines are converted, trains will not be able to move freely across the network. This could: · Reduce operational flexibility · Disrupt through-services · Increase passenger inconvenience · Require duplicate maintenance facilities · Increase operating costs It should be noted that the broad-gauging of the Kelani Valley line helped sustain operations on that corridor by enabling common rolling stock and maintenance facilities. * Additional Complexity at Junctions If standard-gauge tracks are laid alongside existing broad-gauge lines, especially on approaches to Colombo, additional crossings and switching arrangements will be required. These will increase: · Construction costs · Maintenance requirements · Operational complexity * Station and platform alterations Many stations and platforms would require modification to accommodate standard-gauge operations, resulting in additional expenditure. * A potential cost exceeding Rs. 100 bn Taken together, these issues could result in costs exceeding Rs. 100 billion, while also creating significant operational challenges. Is standard gauge really necessary? The main argument advanced in favour of standard gauge appears to be the wider global availability of rolling stock. However: · India operates approximately 66,000 km of broad-gauge railway lines. · For decades, countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Canada successfully supplied broad-gauge rolling stock to Sri Lanka despite using standard gauge in their own railway systems. · Railway rolling stock is normally manufactured to order and is not purchased off-the-shelf. Therefore, the claim that converting to standard gauge would significantly reduce rolling-stock procurement costs has not yet been supported by evidence. What should be the priority? SLSTL believes that Sri Lanka can achieve much greater improvements by focusing on: · Railway electrification · Rapid suburban rail services · Modern signalling systems · Improved railway operations · Expansion of freight rail services These measures can improve service quality, increase passenger capacity, reduce congestion, and strengthen the financial performance of Sri Lanka Railways at a fraction of the cost of network-wide gauge conversion. SLSTL respectfully submits that converting Sri Lanka’s railway network from broad gauge to standard gauge should not be considered a national priority unless supported by a comprehensive technical, operational, and economic evaluation. At a time when many urgent railway improvements remain unimplemented, national resources should be directed towards projects that provide the greatest benefit to passengers, freight users, and the national economy.