Derailment interrupts trains operating on upcountry line

Train services on the upcountry line have been interrupted by a derailed freight train near the Watawala railway station.

The train had been en route to Badulla from Kandy when it went off the rails at around 7.00 a.m. today.

The Railway Control Room said the train comprising two compartments with tanks and a cargo compartment had been transporting 5,800 gallons of fuel at the time of the accident.

The railway tracks have sustained severe damages due to the derailment.

Until train services on the upcountry railway line are restored, the train heading to Colombo Fort from Badulla will be only up to the Hatton railway station.

Meanwhile, the trains departing Colombo Fort for Badulla will operate only up to the Watawala railway station.