Train fare increase imminent

Colombo (News1st) - The final report on the proposed train fare amendments is to be handed over to the Ministry of Transport today (April 20th). A senior official at the Department of Railways said they intend to implement the new price scheme once they receive approval from the subject ministry. He noted that the implementation of the new fairs could be delayed as they have been instructed to ensure that commuters receive the necessary facilities inside the trains before the fare hike is implemented. The proposed amendments call for a 15% increase in train fairs, however, reports suggest that the Railways department could increase the fare by more than 15%. The fares are being amended as per a gazette notification issued in 2008, however no changes will be made to the minimum fares. The sum charged for seat bookings are also to be amended. The proposal to amend fares have been made by a 5-member committee. Incidentally, in 2017 the Department of Railways incurred a loss of 6.7 billion rupees due to the delay in increasing train fares.