‘Uthara Devi’ (No. 4018) Kankesanthurai to Colombo Fort, 1st Class Air Conditioned

My family had the opportunity and privilege to travel on the above train joining at Kankesanthurai last morning at 5:30 a.m. We arrived in Colombo Fort on schedule at 1:30 on the afternoon of 9 March. This was the ‘Uthara Devi’ having two 1st Class Compartments with air conditioning. In total these two compartments carried 104 passengers.

On the whole I wish to state that the ride was extremely comfortable with more than enough leg space and the cost per ticket of Rs. 1,700 was fully worth the luxury and comfortable ride. The train was very clean and well maintained having no broken furniture or fittings. The reclining seats were perfect for the long eight hour journey and the air conditioning worked perfectly. We were seated at seats No. AFC 17, 18 and 19 and the train was filled to capacity on departure from Jaffna. 

Our family was returning after attending the Kachchatheevu Feast on 7 March where almost 10,000 devotees from India and Sri Lanka gathered. The feast was conducted by the Bishops of Jaffna and Galle, Bishop Justin Gnanapragasam and Bishop Raymond Wickramasinghe. The Chief Guest at the event was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral K.K.V. Piyal H. de Silva.

My main reason in writing this letter is to highlight a very significant shortcoming experienced by all 52 1st Class passengers of one compartment, namely the condition of the toilet. The commode had no seat cover and was heavily stained, looking filthy and unapproachable. The toilet door lock from the inside was broken. The toilet window in this small enclosure was shut and the smell inside was nauseating and disgusting. 

Having complained to an official on board, I was told that the toilets are cleaned at the two ends i.e. the first and last station with no cleaning in-between. Can you just imagine the abhorrent and disgusting smell when 52 passengers of this compartment use this small toilet twice or thrice during this long eight-hour journey?

Dear Mr. General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways, please be kind to look into this awful and disgusting shortcoming which brings so much shame and disrepute to one of Sri Lanka’s main transport modes. Foreigners who travel on your trains expect a comfortable and pleasant ride especially when travelling 1st Class A/C and this type of condition could be humiliating to the country and us all.

I hope the authorities reading in will take immediate steps to have this shortcoming arrested and to have these toilets cleaned at least every 30 minutes on passage. 

My family looks forward for another long journey on this luxurious train snaking to many destinations of the country.

Capt. Rohith Fernando

Master Mariner

Colombo 06