News
Five-month shutdown for Indian company to upgrade north railway
View(s):By Senuka Jayakody
The Railway Department expects to continue operating trains in the north although services will be suspended for five months from Colombo for upgrading between Anuradhapura and Omanthai in Vavuniya by an Indian state company.
The “Yal Rani” would be moved to Vavuniya on January 5 when the tracks will be shut. Trains will run between Kankesanthurai
and Omanthai.
Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardane this week announced that the Anuradhapura-Omanthai railway tracks would undergo a “large development”. Trains will only run up to Anuradhapura.
The “Yal Rani” would be moved to Vavuniya on January 5 when the tracks will be shut
The Sri Lanka Transport Board, provincial private buses, the Provincial Road Development Authority, and the Central Transport Board will provide buses from Anuradhapura onwards.
The project will be funded by the Indian credit line and undertaken by IRCON.
It would cost Rs. 33 billion. This is expected to allow trains to travel at 100 kilometres per hour.
The track reconstruction is supported by trade unions, which, however, highlight deficiencies in the
Railway Department.
The Station Masters Union chairman Sumedha Somaratne said he supported the upgrading of tracks, but opposed the suspension
of services.
“There are many other ways to reconstruct a railway track without closing it down entirely. This can be done at night,’’ he said.
The railway is a service and a business, he said. “So, this is a marketing loss,” he said. Despite the cost, there
is no “system change” occurring through
the project.
He also criticised previous project management, saying the outcome does not match the funds obtained.
He cited the example of the Beliatta-Matara railway, where although the tracks are in satisfactory condition, other infrastructure such as buildings are already sinking.
“There is no appropriate organisation to supervise these projects,’’ he said, adding that the funds are not accounted for, “leading to illegal transactions’’.
Locomotive Train Engineers President K. A. U. Konthasinghe said tracks should have been rebuilt earlier. He also acknowledged that the upgrade is an inconvenience to commuters.
“Still, it has to be done. Then, trains can be driven at higher speeds, allowing passengers to reach their destinations quicker,’’
he said.
Railway Trade Union Alliance Convener S.P. Withanage said using trains and buses would be inconvenient. He also alleged that officials were plundering project loans.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!