Public telephone lines at railway stations across Sri Lanka have reportedly been disconnected due to delays in bill payments, causing difficulties for both passengers and railway staff.
According to reports, this is believed to be the first time in the history of the railway service that telephone connections at all railway stations have been cut off over non-payment of bills.
The disruption has reportedly affected:
- Passenger inquiries regarding train timetables
- Operational communication at railway stations
- Access to important travel-related information
A large number of daily calls are normally received by railway stations from passengers seeking updates on:
- Train schedules
- Delays
- Platform information
- Other railway services
Reports further state that the issue may have resulted from an administrative problem within the Sri Lanka Railways.
It is alleged that the current General Manager of Railways had previously taken steps to dissolve the office responsible for handling these matters, while the relevant responsibilities were not properly reassigned afterward.
According to reports:
- No telephone bill payments have reportedly been made since February
The situation has raised concerns regarding:
- Administrative management within the railway department
- Public service continuity
- Communication systems critical to passenger transport operations
Authorities have not yet officially announced when the disconnected services will be restored.
