Sri Lanka Railways has spent Rs. 2.014 billion of its Rs. 5.6 billion maintenance allocation for 2026 while continuing to operate with 5,701 vacant positions, according to figures presented to Parliament by Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake.
The Minister said a total of Rs. 5.6 billion had been allocated for maintenance activities this year, with Rs. 2.014 billion spent as of June 26, 2026.
He also revealed that although the Railway Department has an approved cadre of 20,609 employees, only 14,908 employees were in service as of March 31, 2026, leaving 5,701 vacancies across the department.
Minister Rathnayake also tabled salary expenditure for railway employees over the past five years. Salary costs increased from Rs. 9.5 billion in 2021 to Rs. 11.08 billion in 2022, Rs. 10.851 billion in 2023, Rs. 13.118 billion in 2024, and Rs. 15.119 billion in 2025.
The Minister further presented the Railway Department’s revenue and expenditure figures for the same period. Total expenditure stood at Rs. 40.41 billion in 2021 against revenue of Rs. 2.6 billion, Rs. 42.53 billion in expenditure and Rs. 10.335 billion in revenue in 2022, Rs. 39.379 billion and Rs. 16.079 billion respectively in 2023, Rs. 39.508 billion and Rs. 16.468 billion in 2024, and Rs. 47.176 billion in expenditure compared with Rs. 17.165 billion in revenue in 2025.
Parliamentary Updates Transport
Last modified: July 23, 2026
