Trains have fuel for only 4 days!
S.G. Vithanage, the co-convenor of the Railway Trade Union’s Alliance said that the stock of diesel required for running trains is declining rapidly.
He says that if sufficient stocks aren’t supplied daily after another 4 days, train services will have to be restricted.
Although there were around 344 train journeys per day in the pre-pandemic days, it has dropped to 240 at the present, he points out.He said that although there is a stock of 500,000 – 600,000 liters of diesel at the warehouse, these fuel reserves have now dwindled as around 90,000 liters of diesel are required every day.
Mr. Vithanage points out that as the Energy minister – Udaya Gammanpila has also said that the CPC also has stocks which are only sufficient for 7-8 days, there could be a strong impact on train travel unless the fuel tanker at Colombo port is unloaded.However, General Manager of Railways Dhammika Jayasundara says that despite what TUs say, there is no such imminent diesel shortage.