Assesing the effectiveness of railway operations in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Railway transportation is one of the most common public transport modes in Sri Lanka. There are 167 main railway stations and 153 smaller railway stations located throughout the country. The objective of this study is to observe the effectiveness of railway operations in the Sri Lankan railway network in terms of safety and passenger satisfaction and identify possible countermeasures to improve the efficiency of the current operations. The railway network belongs to the Western province is considered for the study. Accident data at level crossings and along the railway line such as passengers falling off the platforms, slipping on stairs, etc. are collected through inventories of the respective agencies including the socio-economic factors associated with the victims, geometry-related factors at the accident location, causes for accidents, etc. Data on passenger experience such as punctuality, delays, hygiene, comfortability, etc. and socio demographic factors of passengers are collected through a questionnaire survey. Significant factors that influence accidents are determined using statistical methods, and passenger experience and perspectives are analysed to obtain the level of satisfaction in a 5-point scale. Countermeasures are proposed to improve the safety and the level of satisfaction of passengers that improves the overall quality of rail transportation.