The Department of Railways has announced a reduction in the frequency of the Colombo–Kankesanthurai Intercity Express train service due to a shortage of operational power sets.
Under the revised schedule, effective from July 10, 2027, the Intercity Express will operate only four days a week on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. The train previously operated daily, departing Mount Lavinia at 5:15 AM and Colombo Fort at 5:45 AM for Kankesanthurai, before returning from Kankesanthurai to Mount Lavinia at 1:50 PM
Meanwhile, the Yal Devi Express is also operating on alternate days instead of its regular daily schedule.
The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association (SLSMA) stated that, under the new timetable, there will be no morning train services from Colombo to Jaffna or Kankesanthurai on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On those days, passengers traveling to the Northern Province will have to rely on the Night Mail train, which departs Colombo at 8:00 PM
The association noted that commuters on the Northern Railway Line are already facing considerable inconvenience due to the limited number of train services.
It also alleged that railway authorities and the Ministry of Transport had failed to implement timely measures to resolve the ongoing operational issues.
General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association, Kasun Chamara Jayasekara, warned that the railway service could face a more severe crisis in the future unless immediate action is taken to address the shortage of operational power sets available for deployment.
