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Yarlpaanam awaits homecoming of Yal Devi
After a lapse of 24 years the Yal Devi will once again be back on track all the way to Jaffna further linking the north and south.Currently the train operates only up to Pallai.
On October 13, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will inaugurate the renovated railway line from Pallai to Jaffna. The reconstruction by the India Railway Construction International Ltd. (IRCON), a subsidiary of Indian Railways that cost Rs. 58 billion, is part of the Northern Rail Project
that is being carried out with financial assistance from India. The eventual aim of the project is to extend the line from Pallai to Kankesanthirai.
S. L. Guptha IRCON’s Executive Director of the Reconstruction of the Northern Rail Link said 652 million dollars have been allocated for the whole northern rail project that also includes the renovation of the line from Madawachchiya to Thalaimannar, a distance of 107 kilometres.
“By end of this month we would complete the railway tracks up to Thirukestheewaram temple in Mannar. We hope that the Sri Lanka Railways Department will start passenger services soon. By the end of this year the rail tracks up to Thailamannar would be ready. The ferry service could then be resumed from Thalaimannar to Rameshwaram,” he said.
He said under the renovation project concrete sleepers were being used instead of wooden sleepers to accommodate trains that could travel at a speed of 100 kilometres an hour. In addition latest technologies were used.
Mr. Guptha said they had to face several hurdles initially when work had to be done in uncleared mining areas and when obtaining permits to transport building materials.“ The Indian High commissioner took up these matters with the Sri Lankan government, so the army did the demining work from Omanthai to Kankesanthurai. The Forest Department also created problems. However Minister Basil Rajapaksha ordered government officials to cooperate with us and we were able to complete this project as we expected.” he said.
Commenting on working in the north he said, “We don’t feel like foreigners here. We feel very comfortable to engage with the people of the Northern Province. I don’t see much difference in their lifestyles or culture,” he said.
Mr. Guptha said by December the rest of the extension from Jaffna would be completed and the Yal Devi would be able to once again travel upto Kankesanthurai.
He said the rail track from Jaffna station to Kankesanthurai covers a stretch of about 18 kilometres. About three kilometers lie in the high security zone and the military handed over those areas for the setting up of rail tracks about two months ago.
A spokesperson from Indian High Commission said India was proud to be a part of the northern railway project that would enable the people of Sri Lanka to access different parts of the country easily.
Meanwhile northern residents too have welcomed the extension of the northen line. M.Sivasubramaniam, a retired People’s Bank manager from Chavakachcheri said, ” the Yal Devi is not just a train. It’s connected with people’s lives of the whole province.”
S.L. Guptha
Mr. Sivasubramaniam added that other than the main Jaffna – Colombo rail line he hoped that the Railway Department would start short services like they had back then from Paranthan and Kilinochchi for government servants and students to commute.
Sinnakili Pratheepan, a teacher from Jaffna while welcoming the homecoming of Yal Devi after two decades also urged authorities to pay heed to railway signals and regulations and for people to have an awareness.
“The younger generation is not familiar with trains here. I have seen some of the level crossings here are not very safe. If there isn’t awareness I’m afraid there may be more accidents too,” he said.
A private bus owner who runs a Jaffna – Colombo bus service said they may be affected by the Yal Devi running upto Jaffna.
“After the National Transport Board started an inspection of route permits last month the number of buses plying this route reduced. I think the number will come down further in the future when the train service starts. The train ticket would cost Rs 500 to Colombo, so I do not think people will pay Rs. 1500 and travel by bus,” he said.
| Green signal for trains to Jaffna, but stations not ready
Despite preparations to declare open the renovated railway line from Pallai to Jaffna in a week’s time, most of the railway stations in this stretch are yet to be fully rebuilt. Almost all these stations were destroyed during the conflict with most of the buildings needing to be reconstructed Some railway employees and unions have opposed the hurried reopening of the Northern Line from Pallai to Jaffna. All Ceylon Railway Employees General Union General Secretary S.P.Vithanage told the Sunday Times that though the work on the railway line and the signalling systems are complete some of the railway stations are not ready as yet. Some of the stations have a room only as the station, but do not have the required facilities for the staff. Some of the stations do not even have a place to store the tickets and parcels with no shelter for the travellers, he said. ‘The President and the Government seem to be keen to have the facility in place to show that the residents in the north are being provided with more facilities before the Presidential elections’, he said. Mr. Vithanage said another issue is that no Tamil speaking staff have been recruited. Since the majority of the passengers are Tamil speaking, more Tamil speaking persons should have been recruited, he added. Railways General Manager B.K.P.Ariyaratne said he had called a meeting with the district engineers and instructed them to finish all technical work before October 13. Currently we do not have enough Tamil speaking station masters to be appointed to these stations. Recently we have recruited Tamil speaking graduates and they will be appointed to these stations, he said. For the moment a Tamil speaking station master will be appointed to the Jaffna railway station, he said. |