Yal Devi 'steams' into Omanthai
Schoolchildren see a train for the first time, in their town |
Transport Minister Kumara Welgama greets children Pix :
Dushmantha Mayadunne |
The terrorists did everything they could to divide the people in the
North and the South, physically and mentally. They destroyed the
Northern railroad, blasted trains and stations and the entire railway
infrastructure. The Yal Devi train, which linked the North and the
South, used to be a household name in Sri Lanka. But the LTTE, which
wanted to keep Tamil civilians under its iron grip, did not want the
trains coming in. The last train to Jaffna had to abandon its mission
midway on June 23, 1990. Afterwards, all trains to the North terminated
in Vavuniya/Thandikulam until recently.
Back in 2009, exactly two years ago, the LTTE was defeated, ushering
in a new era not only for the Northern people but also for all Sri
Lankans. The Government lost no time in opening the A9 road which linked
Colombo with Jaffna. However, restoring the rail track was not so easy,
because there was no rail track to speak of beyond Vavuniya. It had to
be built from scratch.
The Sri Lankan and Indian Governments, corporate entities and private
individuals contributed to this drive to re-build the Northern railway
track, stations, signalling infrastructure and bridges under the Uthuru
Mithuru program, a part of the Northern Resurgence project.
The track is being rebuilt and opened stretch by stretch on the
'Build Back Better' principle. The Yal Devi will be running to Jaffna
and KKS before long on a newly built rail track.
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The Yal Devi in its approach run to Omanthai railway station |
The Omanthai station, one of the main stations beyond Vavuniya, was
re-built with a generous financial contribution from Singer (Sri Lanka)
Limited. It was opened to rail traffic on Friday by Minister Kumara
Welgama to coincide with the second anniversary of the victory over
terrorism. The Yal Devi arrived at Omanthai (10 Km from Thandikulam, the
last previous stop) from Colombo in grand style after 21 long years
amidst much fanfare to celebrate the occasion. The Minister was on
board, with his senior officials and railway officials. The other
stations too are being built in a similar manner to conform with
international standards.
The operations of the railway line from Omanthai to Pallai is
scheduled to be constructed as the next phase of the project to operate
trains from Colombo to Kankesanthurai and laying of the rail track from
Pallai to Kankesanthurai will take place under the third phase. The 159
kilometre long Northern rail track consists of 85 bridges, 16 railway
stations and 12 sub stations all of which need to be rebuilt.
It was a treat for the schoolchildren and youngsters in the area,
some of whom had never travelled in or even seen a train before. The
railway officials took them on board for a memorable ride. The older
residents of Omanthai too expressed happiness that the Yal Devi was back
in their area. It is a train that has linked the hearts in the North and
the South and would do so again. It is a symbol of hope and peace for
all Lankans.
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