President Ranil Wickremesinghe issued a gazette notification in the evening on Tuesday 12 declaring railway services as essential service with immediate effect under the Essential Public Service Act
At least 20 scheduled train services were cancelled due to the strike action launched by the Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Union since midnight yesterday (Sept. 11).
As a result of the trade union action, passengers were seen train surfing due to overcrowding, and many others were left stranded at railway stations, whereas a fatal incident of a 20-year-old falling off the train roof after knocking against the roof of the Horape railway station was also reported.
According to reports, the critically injured youth has died on the spot.
