Insufficient supply for demand major cause for Upcountry Railway ticket rackets – Deputy Minister

Transport and Highways
Deputy Minister
Dr. Prasanna Gunasena

Transport and Highways Deputy Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena has identified the insufficient supply for the demand as a significant factor contributing to ticket rackets on the Upcountry Railway Line. While legal measures are being taken to address the issue, plans are underway to introduce additional train services on the Upcountry route to better meet passenger demand, the Minister said.

According to the Deputy Minister, from February 1, a train will operate every weekend from Kandy to Demodara, and starting February 10, the Ella Odyssey train will extend its route from Colombo Fort to Badulla every Monday.

The train departing Colombo Fort at 5.10 p.m. every Friday will remain stationed at the Kandy Railway Station until Monday morning at 5.45 a.m. when it departs back to Colombo. On Saturdays and Sundays, the train will operate as the Ella Odyssey-Kandy service, departing Kandy at 9.00 a.m. for Demodara and returning from Demodara to Kandy at 6.00 p.m., the Deputy Minister stated.

Dr. Gunasena acknowledged that legal measures alone cannot effectively curb ticket rackets on the Upcountry Railway Line. He emphasised that reducing the excessive demand for tickets will discourage resellers from exploiting the situation by selling tickets at higher prices.

An investigation into the scalping of railway tickets, involving the advance reservation and subsequent resale at inflated prices, has already been initiated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The Deputy Minister noted that the investigations have led to some fraudsters retreating from their activities. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to addressing the root causes of this issue and finding sustainable solutions.

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