News
Ditwah-battered railway lines on a very slow trot to recovery
View(s):Pix and text by Rekha Tharangani Fonseka
Barely a year after the Northern Railway Line was reopened following a US$ 91.27 million Indian-funded modernisation project, large sections of the strategically vital route have been rendered inoperable by Cyclone Ditwah, forcing Sri Lanka Railways to once again seek Indian assistance for urgent reconstruction.
The 339-kilometre Northern Line which was redeveloped by an Indian company under an Indian loan scheme reopened on October 28, 2024, after being closed for nearly eight months for track maintenance and upgrading. However, severe flooding and landslides triggered by the cyclone have washed away and displaced significant stretches of the line, particularly in the North-Central and Northern provinces.
Thalawa
According to Railways Director, North, Engineer R.F. Alexander, there have been seven major railway track washouts, 60 incidents of fallen trees, and six cases of severe washouts at major bridges along the Northern Line.
General Manager of Railways Ravindra Pathmapriya said that formal reconstruction work has not yet commenced in the Northern Line. He noted that since the most recent modernisation was carried out by an Indian company, Sri Lanka Railways has made a request through the Indian High Commission for the same company to undertake the reconstruction of the sections damaged by flooding and landslides.
Accordingly, railway authorities expect Indian involvement in the repair work in the coming period. Until then, hazardous locations affected by washouts are being identified with the guidance of the National Building Research Organisation, and preparatory work is being carried out to stabilise the track and station infrastructure.
Mr. Pathmapriya said steps are also being taken to prepare limited sections of the railway line to enable the operation of service trains to affected areas where possible.
Meanwhile, taking into account disaster conditions in the Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts, maintenance work has commenced on the Eastern railway lines. On the Batticaloa line, a stretch of approximately 500 metres has been severely damaged. The General Manager said that around 100 personnel, including railway workers and members of the tri-forces, have been deployed to relay tracks on the Batticaloa line.
Train operations up to Rambukkana have resumed following restoration work at the Bujjomuwa culvert, though severe damage has been observed on both sides of the Kala Wewa bridge and along the Puttalam line.
Despite these challenges, temporary repairs are underway to restore limited railway services to Anuradhapura and Trincomalee. Rail installations required for flour and fuel transportation to Trincomalee are also being expedited, Mr. Pathmapriya said. Once reconstruction is complete, train operations will resume under strict speed restrictions on vulnerable sections.
Anuradhapura
Railway authorities expect that within the coming week, the groundwork will be laid to resume most services up to Rambukkana. However, officials warn that the risk of earthslips in several sections of the Up-Country Line has not yet fully subsided.
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