The Railway Department states that ticket prices for intercity, long-distance services, and special express trains will be increased with immediate effect from midnight yesterday (23).
According to the department, the fares of some train fares have been increased by 60 percent and some by 50 percent.
Commenting on this, the Chairman of the Station Masters’ Association Sumedha Somaratne stated that his association is protesting against the increase in train fares that have been performed without any prior notice.
He said that despite the tradition of the Railway Department to increase fares on the first day of the month, for the first time in history, the present General Manager of Railways has arbitrarily increased fares without due process.
Mr. Somaratne further stated that only the stations where ticket bookings are available have been notified at 1.00 am today without informing the station masters who issue tickets.
Accordingly, there is a risk of an increase in ordinary train and season ticket prices said the Chairman of the Station Masters’ Association Sumedha Somaratne.
