Daily NEWS Srilanka

The drunk driver who was not in a position to drive a train which was to travel from Ragama to
Rambukkana and not being in a position to do so resulted in a commotion yesterday. The helpless passengers who handed him over to the police then engaged in a protest and as a consequence train journeys too came to a halt.

What is reported today is that a protest had been staged by a group of train drivers because of the incident which took place at Ragama railway station last night who had then resorted to a strike action. These drivers who engage in the strike on behalf of this drunkard say that they have faced injustice. They point out that on the occasion concerned the said driver was in a mentally confused state and was not drunk as such and that the passengers who were in a rage had assaulted other drivers in the process.

Because of the strike that took place this morning Mr. Vijaya Amaratunga, Railway General Manager had mentioned that several office trains had to be cancelled. Because of this issue he had said that certain trains had to be cancelled while some other trains had to be delayed. What the General Manager says is that the train engine driver was not intoxicated but because of the sugar level of his body had gone up, he had fallen into a sudden sick condition.

Apart from this incident, railway officers-in-charge, drivers, supervisory managers and some others had decided to carry out a railway strike today; but that incidentally was owing to another reason. It was because of a matter concerning the approved salary being not given to them by the government .

Video of yesterday's incident, from below