The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association (SLRSMU) has warned that train operations could face a crisis because of the falling number of operational locomotives and power sets in the Department of Railways.
Association Secretary Kasun Chamara urged the authorities to take immediate steps to address the shortage and keep train services running to the existing timetable. He said the department’s locomotive fleet had shrunk from 106 in 2023 to 98 in 2026 after eight locomotives were withdrawn from service.
The operational picture is sharper still. Chamara said roughly 450 train services were run under the 2023 timetable, which required 74 locomotives, but only 68 were in working order at the time. The number of operational locomotives has since fallen to 49, he said. The department’s power set fleet has meanwhile declined from 109 in 2023 to 106 in 2026, with three sets taken out of service.
The warning adds to long-running concerns about under-investment and deferred maintenance in Sri Lanka Railways, which has struggled to keep rolling stock in service and maintain punctual scheduling. The association called for urgent measures to restore the fleet before disruptions worsen for commuters who depend on rail.
