The Department of Railways has incurred losses exceeding Rs. 1 million due to delays in issuing season tickets to public sector employees for April and May, according to the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union.
Union Secretary Kasun Chamara Jayasekara said the delays were caused by an overtime-related dispute within the department.
He explained that season tickets, which are issued to government employees at concessionary rates, were not distributed on time during the two-month period, resulting in operational difficulties and a loss of revenue.
According to Jayasekara, the validity period of April season tickets was extended several times by the Railway Department, allowing holders to continue using them into May. As a result, many public servants did not purchase new tickets for May, while a number of season tickets were later cancelled.
He said the situation significantly reduced ticket sales and led to losses of more than Rs. 1 million for the department.
