On the Kelani Valley Line Gauge, a Gap Which Cannot Be Bridg Ed Because of the Limitations Which I
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FEATURES ween the KV Line and the broad On The Kelani Valley Line gauge, a gap which cannot be bridg ed because of the limitations which I. S. Fernando of the Railway would not be the KV have been built into the KV Line. Line only and that this Line should Apart from the relatively high effort The future of that 87 miles of be treated no differently, from the needed to earn revenue, its poten narrow rail track that runs from other losing lines. tial to attract traffic or to earn Colombo—Fort, through the Kelani There are, however, fundamen revenue is also low. Passenger traf Valley, upto Opanaike has been the tal differences between the narrow fic is not attracted to the KV Line subject of much debate in recent gauge and the broad gauge which because parallel road services are times. Here I. S. Fernando, a keen may not be widely known. There much cheaper for long distance student of transport discusses some was, even in the pioneering years, a travel and the services much faster. practical solutions to the problems school of thought which opposed a Goods traffic has been declining of the K.V. Line. Mr. Fernando, two-gauge system and which suc over the years and what is left-over who served in the Transportation cessfully resisted the attempt to in now moves one-way, being mainly Department of the Railway for troduce a narrow gauge in the up- food traffic originating from Colom several years, was last the head of country even though the differences bo. For economy in operation traf a newly created "Traffic costing so noticeable now in the operation fic must be two-way. Though there Unit" in the Railway. On his ini of a two-gauge system would not Is traffic In the region it is not rail tiative many railway statistical have been as evident then. When borne. systems were modernised in order the KV Line was constructed as a The KV Line — a it was until to provide meaningful data to narrow gauge, the Railway was sup s recently — ran from Fort to monitor the Railway's activities for planting the animal-drawn vehi cle so that the new Line despite the Opanaike, a distance of 87 route in-depth studies and for traffic handicaps did confer an advantage miles. It formed 9 per cent of the costing. to transport users. Today, the total route mileage or 12 per cent of situation has changed. The motor the total track mileage, that is, the Whenever the future of the KV vehicle has encroached on the Rail mileage of track available for the Line comes up for review, it imme way preserves, and the differences running of trains. But the train diately rouses widespread interest between the broad and narrow gauge miles operated, the passenger jour though the enthusiasm generated lines have become more marked than neys undertaken, and the goods is not always matched with facts ever. The width of the narrow moved did not exceed even 4 per or meaningful analysis. The KV gauge is 2 feet 6 inches as against cent of the total. The train miles Line is a historical antiquity; its 5 feet 6 inches of the broad gauge. per track mile was less than half construction commenced in 1900, Its maximum permissible speed, that on the broad gauge. There was, just 36 years after the first broad that is, the maximum speed of therefore, a serious under-utilisa- gauge train ran from Maradana to trains permitted on the track, is tlon of available track capacity. Ambepussa. It rapidly expanded only 20 m.p.h. as against 50 m.p.h. The KV Line as it is now cons during the early years of the cen on the broad gauge. These differ tituted has several unsatisfactory tury but started to shrink during the ences under the operation of trains features and it would, therefore, be Second World War and again in cause wide differences in output. difficult to support a case to extend recent years. In the Colombo com the KV Line as a narrow gauge. muter area the users of the KV Line The average speed of a stopp ing passenger train is about 14 There are other matters requiring are mostly Government servants who priority attention such as, for ex have their season tickets heavily m.p.h. on the KV Line and about 25 m.p.h. on the broad gauge, and the ample, the situation in the broad subsidised by the Government and gauge where goods traffic has been in the remote areas those who do passenger carrying capacity of a full length passenger train on the declining at an accelerating rate not have ready access to road trans from 1970. From the all-time high port. These groups along with some KV Line is about half the carrying capacity of a double power coach figure of 228 million ton miles moved non-users have clamoured for its by Rail in 1970, it had dropped to retention and improvement. On the set. It is easily seen from this that for one train hour the broad gauge 184.1 million ton miles in 1975 — a other hand, the pre-occupation of drop of 19 per cent in 5 years. the operators, that is, the Railway, will produce 3£ times the passenger What then should be done with appears to have been centred almost miles produced by the KV Line. This the KV Line, it may be asked. There wholly on the problem of procuring also means that, since the tariff is are really five options. It will be and maintaining an adequate set of the same on both gauges, to produce useful — the reasons will become rolling stock for service on the Line. the same revenue earning capacity evident later — to break up the The question of viability, or profi on both gauges the train hours on length Fort/Opanaike into Fort/ tability, does not seem to have en the KV Line would have to be as Homagama and Homagama/Opa- gaged the attention of any particu much as 3£ times the passenger naike. The options are:— lar group seriously. This is under miles produced by the KV Line. The standable because in the context results are almost identical when I. Closure of the whole KV line; of a heavily losing Railway enter considering the goods service though II. Broadening the whole KV prise — the annual losses being in the values are different. This is an Line; the region of Rs. 100 million — it approximate value but it is sufficient III. Closure of Homagama/Opa- could be argued that the losing lines to show that with regard to effort naike and operating Fort/ and output there is a wide gap bet Homagama as a narrow gauge; 24 ECONOMIC REVIEW, SEPT/OCT 1978 IV. Closure of Homagama/Opa- Broading the KV Line up to It will be necessary to import naike and broadening Fort/ Homagama — the fourth option — about 6 to 10 power coach sets to Homagama; will without doubt bring the level provide a satisfactory service. Since V. Operating Homagama/Opa- of passenger traffic up to the level the service will have to be operated naike as a narrow gauge and of the other comparable suburban on single line and will have to serve broadening Fort/Homagama. sections, namely, the sections Fort/ traffic in both directions power Closure of the whole KV Line Panadura and Fort/Gampaha, pro coaches would be more suitable than would remove at one blow all the vided the speed and the services are loco-hauled trains. If the traffic in problems of operation but it would right; and provided the Line keeps any one of the power coach trains be a drastic solution paying no heed close to the present track. The exceeds its capacity then the ques to social consequences and to the revenue which will be earned when tion of replacing It by a loco-hauled possible existence of less drastic the traffic has come up to the level train can be considered. alteratives. of the broad gauge suburban sec However, the decision to broa Broadening the whole Line tions will probably cover the opera den the Line up to Homagama should along the existeing track will only ting costs but not the capital costs. not be based on the factor of via increase the payload capacity of But to compensate for this there bility but on Important socio-eco trains. If the curvature of the track will be a saving in other areas as. nomic grounds. The rail area en Is retained and the speed remains for example, a saving in buses. The circled by Gampaha, Panadura and unaltered this will bring in no authorised load of a double unit Jaela at a radius of about 16 miles advantage. The under-utilisation of power coach set is 1380 passengers from Colombo forms the Inner Sub track capacity will worsen If traffic which is equivalent to 23 buses with urban Area. There is heavy con does not increase in the same pro 60 passengers in each bus. Thus, portion as the increase of track centration of traffic within this area capacity. Additional motive power and rolling stock will be required to provide a suitable service since these resources are scarce even now. Even though the permis sible speed is brought up to the level of the main line the KV Line will have to depend largely on goods traffic because long distance passen ger traffic will still continue to pat ronise the cheaper road service.