Misinterpreted Video of Train Stopping at Waikkala Railway Station

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Trains are a vital mode of transportation in Sri Lanka, connecting people across the country. However, misleading social media posts sometimes distort facts about train operations, leading to public misunderstanding. For instance, a recent viral video falsely claimed that a train driver irresponsibly stopped on a railway crossing to buy food, causing traffic to halt.This is our investigation on it.

Social Media Posts

A viral video claims that a train driver irresponsibly stopped a train in the middle of a railway crossing to buy food, causing a traffic jam.

FB | Archived

Such posts viral in WhatsApp also.

We decided to do a fact-check on this.

Fact Check

What Happened?

A video circulating on social media shows a train stopped at a railway crossing with the driving assistant seen purchasing food from a nearby shop. The video has sparked outrage, with many users accusing the train driver and assistant of irresponsibility, as their actions allegedly caused traffic to halt.

Investigation

We reached out to the complaint division of the Sri Lanka Railways, who confirmed that the incident took place at the Waikkala railway station in the Puttalam district. The train, which travels from Bangadeniya to Colombo, is relatively long, and when it stops at Waikkala station, part of the train extends into the road at the railway crossing. This blockage is unavoidable given the train's length and the station's layout.

The driving assistant's action of buying food during this routine stop is a not an act of irresponsibility as this way of train stoppage is daily routine in this railway station . To gain further insight, we contacted several local residents, who confirmed that this is a regular practice at the Waikkala station and that the social media posts have misinterpreted the situation.

In below map, we can clearly detect how small the railway station and how near it to the road.

Media Clarification

Several media outlets and social media posts have since clarified the true nature of the incident, explaining that the video was taken out of context. The train driver and assistant were following standard operating procedures, and there was no misconduct involved.

Social media posts explaining true situation can be reached here and here

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Conclusion

The claim that a train driver irresponsibly stopped a train at a railway crossing to buy food is false. The video was misinterpreted, and the incident was part of a routine, daily occurrence at the Waikkala railway station. The train's partial blocking of the road is a normal part of its operation, and the driving assistant's actions were not irresponsible.