Sri Lanka's Railway Paralysis: Union Strike Cripples Nationwide Train Service

A railway union strike in Sri Lanka halted most train services on Wednesday, causing severe disruption for tens of thousands of passengers. The Station Masters' Union initiated the strike to push for filling vacancies and resolving administrative issues. The strike resulted in dangerously overcrowded trains and canceled journeys.

A railway union strike halted most train services across Sri Lanka on Wednesday, causing significant disruption for tens of thousands of passengers who either had to brave dangerously overcrowded trains or remain stranded at the station.

The Station Masters' Union initiated the strike, demanding that job vacancies be filled and various administrative issues be addressed.

Hundreds of scheduled train journeys were canceled, leaving the few operational trains dangerously packed. Local TV aired footage of commuters risking their lives, hanging onto the sides of the trains and balancing on rain-slick footboards to get to school and work.

Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena criticized the strike, noting it was launched arbitrarily despite government efforts to address the union's concerns.

Similar strikes have had deadly outcomes; a strike in September resulted in the deaths of two passengers. One hit his head on an overhead bridge while traveling on a train's roof, and another died from injuries after falling off a train's footboard.

Years of mismanagement and poor planning have left Sri Lanka's train services in a deplorable state, with frequent strikes adding to the delays and overall inefficiency of the railway system.

(With inputs from agencies.)