Due to a shortage of operational power sets, the Railway Department has decided to reduce the frequency of the daily Colombo–Kankesanthurai Intercity Express train service to four days a week.
Accordingly, effective from July 10, 2026, the Intercity Express train, which previously departed from Mount Lavinia daily at 5:15 a.m. and Colombo Fort at 5:45 a.m. for Kankesanthurai, and returned from Kankesanthurai to Mount Lavinia at 1:50 p.m., will operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.
Furthermore, the Yal Devi Express train is also not operating daily at present and is currently running on alternate days.
The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association (SLSMA) stated that, under the revised schedule, there will be no morning train services from Colombo to Jaffna or Kankesanthurai on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
On those days, the only train departing for Kankesanthurai will be the Night Mail train, which leaves at 8:00 p.m.
Commuters using the Northern Railway Line are already experiencing significant inconvenience due to the shortage of train services.
Allegations have been raised against relevant railway officials and Ministry of Transport authorities for failing to take timely measures to address the ongoing issues.
General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association, Kasun Chamara Jayasekara, warned that the railway crisis could further worsen in the future if immediate solutions are not implemented.
