Southern railway track ready next year

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Transport Minister Kumara Welgama has assured that the modernisation of the Southern Coastal Railway track from Colombo to Matara will be completed next year.

Accordingly, the present railway track will be upgraded to a high-speed track at a cost of US 167.4 million, granted by the Indian Government.

Construction work on the railway track will be carried out by the Indian Railway Construction Company Ltd.

Minister Welgama told the Sunday Observer that train commuters will thereafter get an opportunity to travel between Colombo and Matara within two hours.

He said under the first phase of this modernisation program , the Galle-Matara express railway track was completed in March this year and trains now ply between these two stations at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour.

Sri Lanka's Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha also travelled in the inaugural journey along with Minister Welgama.

The Minister said after upgrading the entire Colombo-Matara track , new powersets which are imported from India will be used for the benefit of office workers and a large number of tourists who visit South often.

"We have plans to develop the tourism industry in the Southern part of the island after completing the whole track".

He said the second segment of the program which is between Galle and Induruwa in Aluthgama will be commenced on September 1 and during the construction period, a joint railway-bus service between Galle and Aluthgama will operate.