Sri Lanka Railways says the Wanawasala train accident caused nearly Rs. 1.7 million in damage to the railway system, NewsFirst reported.
The Railway Track and Engineering Sub-Department said nearly 200 feet of railway tracks, sleepers and other line components were damaged in the incident. The damaged sections have now been repaired, the department said.
Assessments are still being carried out on the damage caused to the railway signalling system and to the train compartments. The combined assessment, covering track, signalling and rolling stock, will be submitted to the Ministry of Transport and Highways within the coming days.
The Rs. 1.7 million figure covers only the track and engineering component of the loss; the final number is expected to rise once signalling and carriage damage are quantified. The figure is the first formal damage quantum to emerge from the May 16 incident on the Main Line near Kelaniya, which authorities have already attributed to sabotage following the arrest of a suspect at the scene. The initial derailment was reported with no fatalities but disrupted services along the Colombo–Kandy corridor.
The Ministry submission will determine whether Sri Lanka Railways pursues civil recovery against any prosecuted party alongside the existing criminal investigation by police.
