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This list of railway accidents in Sri Lanka provides details of significant railway crashes in Sri Lanka involving railway rolling stock.
Other than these, a number of accidents have taken place. One major type is elephant accidents, which typically occur in the North-Central area. Other accidents occur at unsecured level crossings with road traffic.
The worst disaster was the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami-rail disaster with more than 1700 people killed by a tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. [1]
The Polgahawela level crossing accident was a collision between a bus travelling from Galkiriyagama to Colombo and a train at a level crossing in Yangalmodara, near Polgahawela in Kurunegala district on 27 April 2005 at 8.30 local time, which resulted in the death of 41 people.
The Sri Lanka Railway Department is Sri Lanka's railway owner and primary operator. As part of the Sri Lankan government, it is overseen by the Ministry of Transport. Founded in 1858 as the Ceylon Government Railway, it operates the nation's railways and links Colombo with other population centres and tourist destinations.
The 2011 Alawwa rail accident, occurred on the evening of Saturday 17 September 2011, when a passenger train, Sri Lanka Railways S11, drove into an observation car at the back of a stationary Intercity Express train near the Alawwa railway station, approximately 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Colombo. The accident resulted in the death of five people, including a French national, a Thai Buddhist monk and the train driver, with over 30 injured. The Intercity Express had been pushing a Rambukkana-bound train from Colombo, which had stalled near Alawwa. The accident may have been caused by human error, and the S11 train ran into the observation car at the end of the other train.
Polgahawela is a town located in north western Sri Lanka. It is most notable for being a major railway junction.
Sri Lanka Railways Class S11 is a diesel multiple-unit (DMU) train, built for Sri Lanka Railways by Integral Coach Factory and imported through RITES Ltd, an Indian state infrastructure corporation on a line of credit extended by the Indian Government. They were built to replace locomotive-hauled passenger trains. Twenty S11 DMUs were ordered to strengthen long-distance travel on the Coastal Line from Colombo to Matara.
Fort railway station is a major rail hub in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The station is served by Sri Lanka Railways, with many inter-city and commuter trains entering each day. Fort Station is the main rail gateway to central Colombo; it is the terminus of most intercity trains in the country.
The northern line is a railway line in Sri Lanka. Branching off the Main Line at Polgahawela Junction the line heads north through North Western, North Central and Northern provinces before terminating at the northern port of Kankesanthurai. The line is 339 kilometres (211 mi) long and has 55 stations between Polgahawela Junction and Vavuniya. It is the longest railway line in Sri Lanka. The line opened in 1894. Major cities served by the line include Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya and Jaffna. The popular Yal Devi service operates on the line. The line was severely affected by the civil war and no services operated north of Vavuniya after 1990. Reconstruction of this section of the line commenced following the end of the civil war in 2009 and was fully completed in early 2015.
The Main Line is a major railway line in the rail network of Sri Lanka and considered by many to be one of the most scenic train journeys in all of Asia. The line begins at Colombo Fort and winds through the Sri Lankan hill country to reach Badulla.
The coastal line is a major railway line in Sri Lanka, running between Colombo Fort and Beliatta, via Galle and Matara. Operated by Sri Lanka Railways, the line includes some of the busiest rail services in the country. The line has been extended to Beliatta on 8 April 2019 and is proposed to be extended to Kataragama, via Hambantota. With a designed maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) between Kalutara and Matara, and a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) between Matara and Beliatta, the line is one of the fastest in Sri Lanka.
Class S8 is a Diesel multiple unit (DMU) made by Hitachi and Hyundai, operated by Sri Lanka Railways. It was imported to Sri Lanka in 1991 and, according to the website Sri Lanka Railways Info Page, is "the best diesel multiple unit ever imported to Sri Lanka".
Rajarata Rejini is a daytime passenger train that runs between Anuradhapura and Beliatta via Colombo Fort in Sri Lanka.
Rambukkana Railway Station is a railway station in the Kegalle District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. The station is served by Sri Lanka Railways, which is the state-run railway operator.
Colombo - Badulla Night Mail Train is a night time passenger and mail train that runs between Colombo and Badulla in Sri Lanka.
Alawwa Railway Station is a railway station in the town of Alawwa, which is located in the Kurunegala District of Sri Lanka. The station is owned by Sri Lanka Railways, the state-owned railway operator, the station is part of the Main line which links Badulla with the country's capital Colombo.