Train fares will be increased this year, but, there is no final decision yet on whether the fare will be increased from September or October, a Sri Lanka Railways Spokesman said.
He further said that train fares have not been increased since 2008. “Train fares are always lower than bus fares which were increased several times in the recent past. Therefore, we expect this would be a positive move,” he added.
“The Railway Department, instead, will focus on reducing the operational cost to overcome losses,” the Spokesman said.
“We have to increase the revenue generated via tickets to address this issue. The minimum railway fare is still remains at Rs.10 considering the requirements of the middle-class and poor people,” he said.
However, the fare hike will not affect the current minimum fare,” the Spokesman added.
A five-member Committee headed by the General Manager of Railways was recently appointed to consider a revision of railway ticket prices.
A proposal was put forward by the Committee to amend the railway fares, taking into consideration the cost of fuel, bus fares and the losses incurred by the Sri Lanka Railways.