Major disaster averted as two trains almost collide head-on

Two trains narrowly avoided a head-on collision in Ginthota on the Coastal Line as the drivers of the locomotives managed prevent a possible major train disaster this afternoon. 

The Railway Control Room stated that the ‘Rajarata Rejina’ train traveling from Matara to Vavuniya and a train plying from Kandy to Matara were on the same track as they neared the Ginthota railway station.

However, the drivers of the engines managed to bring the two trains to a halt with a gap of only 10-15 feet between them and avert an accident.

The Railway Control Room stated that both trains were scheduled to divert to different tracks, however the Matara-bound train had proceeded forward ignoring the signals. 

This had caused the train arriving from Matara and the train arriving from Colombo to come face-to-face near the bridge close to the Ginthota Dharmapala College. 

A spokesman for the railway control room stated that a special inquiry will be launched based on the statements obtained from the two train drivers.