This is a reply I've posted long ago, regarding that accident.
මේ ක්රමය 100% ක්ම ආරක්ෂිත උනත්, 1928 දී ((12/03/28) කටුකුරුන්දේ දී තනි මාර්ගයේ දුම්රිය දෙකක් මුහුණට මුහුණලා හැපිලා අනතුරට ලක් උනා. එහිදී, දුම්රිය දෙකක් (නො 547 කොටුව අළුත්ගම සහ නො. 250 මාතර මරදාන ) එකිනෙක හැපිලා 28 දෙනෙක් මැරුණා.
Katukurunda Railway Accident – First head-on collision in Sri Lanka
One such event is the Katukurunda Railway Accident that happened in 1928. It is significant for two reasons
The first head-on train collision
The train accident with the highest death toll
train accidents in sri lanka
Photo Credit: Divaina | source
Where?
The accident happened between Kalutara South and Katukurunda railway stations. The specific location is now known as Wettumakada, some 2.2 km away from Kalutara town.
When
This unfortunate incident took place some 90 years before in 1928 March 12 at 8.06 pm.
Collided Trains
The two trains that collided were two passenger trains which were hauled by steam engines.
No: 547 Colombo – Aluthgama
Cabins: 08 Passenger cabins + A Fish transport cabin
The train was running 18 minutes late and had reached Kalutara South station at a few minutes shy of 08.00 pm.
No: 250 Matara – Maradana
Cabins: 07 Passenger cabins + 03 Goods cabins + A Fish transport cabin
The Situation
The trains ran on a single line in those days and one has to wait for other incoming trains in a station with two tracks. The two trains in question usually crossed at Payagala station but due to the delay of Aluthgama train, it was decided to cross two trains in Kalutara south station.
Aluthgama train reached the station at 08.00 pm and was signaled to stop at a side track but due to some miscommunication between the station master and the driver, the train proceeded towards Aluthgama towards the impending disaster.
Colombo bound train passed Payagala obtaining instruction that the crossing would happen in Kalutara south.
The Collision
The two trains collided at 58 post bend in Wettumakada, Katukurunda. A mere 02 km from the Kalutara south station. The trains were traveling at the speed of 20 mph and 35 mph and the sound of the collision is said to have been heard in Dodangoda (some 10km away) as well.
The Matara train’s engine was completely derailed and turned upside down while the other one stayed on the track being fully damaged.
karukurunda train accident
The accident took place on this culvert | Photo Copyright (Megaā Hike)
Both drivers died of injuries sustained and the total death toll was 28 including the staff and passengers. Had this happened today the death toll could have been much worse due to a large number of people who travel on trains. To date, this accident retains the record of highest death toll incurred in a rail accident in Sri Lanka.
katukurunda railway accident
The location where the accident took place today. Another track is being constructed till Aluthgama. Photo Copyright (Megaā Hike)
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Aftermath
An investigation spearheaded by Lt. Col. F.R.H. Eustace of Indian Railway was conducted after a failed government investigation. The exact cause of the accident was, however, never uncovered because the railway staff from both trains were dead. Various speculations still circulate over the drinks as to what could’ve happened in those old time where no means of communication
existed.
මේ කතාව අනුව මේ අනතුරට හේතුව කියවෙන්නේ නැහැ. මා අසා තියන පරිදි මෙහි කියවෙන අලුත්ගම දුම්රියේ රියදුරුට ඉදිරියට (පයාගලට) යාමට දකුණු කළුතරදී ටැබ්ලට් එක දීලා. නමුත්, මේ දුම්රිය ප්රමාද නිසා, දුම්රිය මාරුව කළුතරදී සිදු කරන්න අවසර ඉල්ලුවාම, අවසර අරන් තියෙන්නේ ඔවුනට ලබා දුන් ටැබ්ලට් එක කළුතර දුම්රිය ස්ථානාධිපති ආපසු අරගෙනයි. එවිට රියදුරු හෝ සහායක ඇන්ජිමේ ඉඳලා නැතිලු (දෙන්නාම බැහැලා වැසිකිලියට ගියා කියලා කිව්වාට ෂොට් එකක් දාන්න ගියා කියලා තමයි කියවෙන්නේ.) ඔවුන් ආපසු පැමිණි විට මේ ගැන දැන්වීමට සිතා සිටියත්, ඔවුන් දෙදෙනා කොහෙන් හෝ එකපාරටම මතුවී, දුම්රිය ඉදිරියට ධාවනය කරවූ බවත්, කිසිවෙකුට දුම්රිය ඇන්ජිමට ගොඩ වීමට හෝ ඔවුන්ගේ අවධානය යොමු කර ගැනීමට නොහැකි උන බවත් කියවෙනවා. ඔවුන් ඉදිරියට යන්නේ ටැබ්ලට් එක නොමැතිවයි. නමුත් ස්ථානාධිපති ඒක ආපසු අරගත්ත බව රියදුරන් දෙදෙනාම දැකලා නැහැ. මේ කියන්නේ රාත්රී 8. 0 ට පමණ නිසා ටැබ්ලට් එක එන්ජිමේ ඊට අදාළ කොක්කේ නැති බවත් ඔවුන් දැකලා නැහැ.
