The government plans to launch an online system from September to enable private sector employees to obtain railway season tickets, Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake said.
The Minister said the facility would be made available to all private sector employees after a similar online system was recently introduced for government employees, replacing a process that had remained largely unchanged for decades.
He noted that passengers previously had to stand in queues and obtain letters from their workplaces as part of the procedure for securing railway season tickets.
Rathnayake also acknowledged that the railway service still faces significant shortcomings, with passengers calling for more trains, improved punctuality and better onboard facilities.
However, he said resolving these issues would require considerable time, particularly as purchasing new locomotives, repairing existing locomotives and upgrading railway tracks are long-term processes that were not initiated at the appropriate time in the past.
The Minister also acknowledged management and institutional shortcomings within the Railways Department that need to be addressed to deliver a better service.
In the meantime, he said the government would continue implementing improvements that can be completed more quickly, including upgrading facilities at railway stations, with several improved stations expected to be opened to the public in the near future.
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