Leader of the House and Minister of Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, told Parliament yesterday that inefficiency within Sri Lanka Railways has been a major factor contributing to the country’s decline.
Responding to a question raised by MP Hector Appuhamy, the Minister admitted that Sri Lanka had collapsed politically, economically, culturally, and administratively, and that the breakdown of the Railway Department played a role in this downfall.
“I have repeatedly said that the Railways Department suffers from severe inefficiency and an inability to provide a proper public service. While some officials work with great dedication, there is also a large number of staff who are unwilling to work, alongside politically appointed and inefficient employees brought in by former transport ministers,” Rathnayake said.
He pointed out that years of neglect in essential recruitment, especially for technical officers, had worsened the crisis. His first Cabinet paper as Transport Minister, submitted in December 2024, sought approval to fill technical vacancies in the department. However, he noted that senior officials delayed the recruitment process for nearly a year despite Cabinet approval.
The Minister said a new General Manager has now been appointed and that ministry officials, engineers, and trade unions are working together more constructively.
“There is no magic wand to immediately eliminate inefficiencies inherited from previous administrations. But we are systematically addressing them, and within one year, we expect the Railway Department to improve by about 50 percent from its current state,” Rathnayake assured.
