News
Northern railway line to be closed for two months for repairs
View(s):By Rekha Tharangani Fonseka
The Northern railway line section from Mahawa to Omanthai is to be closed down for two months for repairs, Northern Provincial Chief Engineer R. F. Alexander said.
Accordingly, five bridges on the northern railway line which have been severely damaged due to adverse weather conditions experienced will be rebuilt during the period.
High Commissioner of India Santosh Jha, and Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake jointly launched the restoration works on the Northern railway line under an Indian grant of USD 5 million.
The project forms part of the Indian reconstruction and rehabilitation package of USD 450 million announced during the visit of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Sri Lanka.
Five bridges along the railway from Mahawa to Ambanpola and from Senarathgama to Anuradhapura would be repaired, and the Nochchimota bridge in Omanthai would also be rebuilt.
The restoration of the railway track would begin from tomorrow along with other maintenance work which was pending even before the cyclone, Engineer Alexander said.
The northern line is set to be open by April in time to be used during Sinhala and Hindu New Year celebrations.
The northern railway line renovation project was earlier done resulting the closure of the line for eight months and was reopened on October 28, 2024.
The same Indian company, ECON, which completed the development of the northern line in the previous year is undertaking the current rehabilitation process.
After completion of the repairs, the existing speed restrictions would be lifted and train services would be allowed to run normally, Mr. Alexander said.
This railway line which is 339 km long is the longest railway line in Sri Lanka and is also the highest revenue-generating route of the Department of Railways in the country.
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