Lorry breaks down bringing trains to a halt

by Kurulu Kariyakarawana

Trains on the Badulla-Colombo railway line were temporarily stopped after a lorry carrying a large stock of cement broke down at a level crossing in Bandarawela yesterday morning, police said.

The Colombo-bound Podi Menike train from Badulla had halted at the Bandarawela Railway Station for several hours as a result, the Railway Control Room said. Workers unloaded the lorry carrying around 17 tons of cement to clear the track. A mechanical default had caused the lorry to crash into the rail gate and a tyre had also burst as a result, the police said.