BY Buddhika Samaraweera Courtesy The Morning

• Passengers question Railways Dept. irregularities in the online system
• Unionists note infrastructure and HR shortages, propose airport office for reservations

The issue of illegal ticket sales for the popular Colombo to Ella train route has become one of the most-talked-about topics in the recent past, with accusations of fraud involving ticket resellers. 

Many passengers, both local and foreign, have found it impossible to secure tickets, either online or at the railway stations, due to the rapid sale of electronic tickets within seconds of their release. Despite multiple efforts to tackle the problem, the Department of Railways is yet to put an end to the issue.

Transport and Highways Deputy Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena recently claimed that a complaint has been lodged with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) regarding a major racket involving e-tickets for up-country trains to Ella. He said that e-tickets for this popular tourist route are sold out within mere 42 seconds of their release online, raising serious concerns about fraudulent practices. 

Adding to the complexity, the Police has noted that taking legal action against the fraudsters is hindered by the reluctance of the affected passengers to formally participate in the judicial process. Although many accuse resellers of exploiting the system, it was reported that the lack of formal complaints has created obstacles for law enforcement officers. 

Dr. Gunasena claimed that certain groups are purchasing all the available tickets through dubious means and re-sell them to tourists at exorbitant prices. Tickets priced at Rs. 2,000 are reportedly being resold for as much as Rs. 16,000. Noting that the Colombo Fort, Kandy, and Ella railway stations are primary locations where ticket re-sales are occurring, he alleged that some individuals operating three-wheelers near these railway stations are all complicit in the racket. 

Posting on a social media group of railway passengers from across the country, a passenger said that there were not many issues with the railway seat reservation system in the early days. However, he said that problems began when railway stations were allocated 60% of the seats while the remaining 40% were available through the online reservation system. At that time, he claimed that even passengers who waited in long queues at railway stations often failed to secure seats while those who attempted to reserve tickets online also failed to do so. 

He added that passengers allege that tickets were being sold at higher prices, with the possible involvement of certain officials within the department and external parties. 

Later, the Transport Ministry decided to make seat reservations 100% online to prevent these issues. However, the necessary support from the relevant parties was not received. With full online reservations, the problem had worsened. Considering this issue, the railway stations were allocated 40% of the tickets, and the remaining 60% through an online system. Despite these measures, there are still irregularities taking place. Earlier, people only talked about this mafia. Now, they are also actively trying to eliminate it. When certain parties including those within the department itself blame us for speaking up, we have reasonable doubts about why they feel uncomfortable when we expose the mafia,” the passenger had claimed.

Noting that the CID is currently investigating the issue, he urged the authorities to put an end to this malpractice. He further said that the department is not the private property of its officers or any other party but a public institution funded by taxpayers. Therefore, he said that people have every right to express concerns about the department’s issues and demand solutions.

The CID recently informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that it has launched a comprehensive investigation into the train ticket scam, suspecting the involvement of certain Railways Department officials. According to the officials, this suspicion arises from information uncovered during the interrogation of the arrested suspects. 

So far, four suspects have been taken into custody, with three of them being remanded. The Court has granted permission to examine the telephone data and bank account information of the arrested suspects. Based on this, the CID officials informed the Court that a formal investigation will be carried out, and its progress will be reported to the Court at the next hearing.

A resident of Homagama, Chamika Perera, has attempted multiple times to reserve seats on a train from Colombo to Ella but has been unsuccessful on each occasion. Speaking to The Daily Morning, he said that despite visiting the Colombo Fort Railway Station on several occasions, he was repeatedly informed by officials that tickets were sold out. He also alleged that the online booking window is too short, making it difficult for those unfamiliar with the system to secure tickets.

The department is a government institution. I can’t believe that our country’s authorities are so weak that they cannot stop fraud within a government agency. The Government spends billions on developing these institutions, and officers even travel abroad for training. In such a situation, why is it not possible to create a proper ticket reservation system? Even if the system had shortcomings in the beginning, can’t they be fixed gradually? This is why the public has lost trust in these institutions,” he said. 

Perera further said that the Department has the necessary resources to implement a transparent and efficient ticketing system. However, he alleged that the reason for inaction could be that certain officials are also involved in the ongoing fraud.

According to the data, only four trains operate from Colombo Fort to Badulla on weekdays, including three morning trains and a night mail train, with a total seating capacity of 454 across first, second, and third classes. Additionally, the Ella Odyssey train, running on weekends, offers 311 seats. However, considering the high demand from both domestic and foreign tourists, concerns remain about whether this daily seat allocation is sufficient.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, a former Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union General Secretary Kasun Chamara Jayasekara said that the best possible solution to the issue is to operate some additional trains from Colombo Fort to Badulla. However, he said that it has not been possible to do so as the department faces a shortage of both physical and human resources at present.

There should be around 450 train drivers, but only about 250 are available. While 650 train guards are needed, only about 400 are employed. This shortage makes it difficult to operate special and additional trains. There is also a lack of train engines and compartments that suit the existing railway lines, particularly the upcountry railway line,” he said. 

Commenting on the incidents of tourists having to purchase train tickets from third parties at higher prices, he said: We suggested that the department establish an office at the Airport departure terminal specifically for tourists to make seat reservations. This would prevent them from falling victim to the black market. With such an office in place, tourists will be able to conveniently purchase tickets at fair prices. It will encourage more sales and ultimately increase the Department’s revenue.”

Speaking to the media recently, Railways General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara said that there is a high demand for train travel to Ella from both local and foreign travellers, but various illegal transactions have emerged around ticket reservations. The best solution, he said, is to increase the supply while enforcing laws against such activities. 

To address the issue, we have taken steps to meet the demand. As a first step, a new train from Kandy to Demodara will operate on weekends from 1 February, offering 300-350 seats at Rs. 7,000 per seat. It will also generate a reasonable profit to the department. As a second step, a daily train from Nanu Oya to Ella will start on 10 February, with 350 seats available for daytime and evening travel,” he said. 

He further said that currently, the online ticket reservation platform allows one person to reserve up to five seats under one National Identity Card number, which benefits families traveling together. However, he said that allegations suggest that some exploit this system to hoard and resell seats. To prevent misuse, he said that they have ordered the relevant officers to check passengers NIC on trains.