Railways want 50% fare hike

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Railway Department says a request has been put before the Cabinet to increase the train fares by 50%.

The Spokesperson of the Department, Deputy General Manager of Railways Gamini Seneviratne stated that the Department has been unable to cover the cost of fuel incurred despite the increase in the number of daily train rides, due to the low fare charged from passengers.

Seneviratne said there is no alternative but to increase fares to cover the loss incurred, as one train consumes more than 100,000 liters of fuel per day.

He stated while approval of the Cabinet has been sought to increase the train fares, the approval of Parliament should also be obtained.

However, Seneviratne added that the Department still has sufficient stocks of fuel to operate its trains.