Restored railway, an economic boost for North

By Shirajiv Sirimane

On January 19, 1985, the Yal Devi train was blasted using landmines and then by shooting at the people who survived the blast at Kokavil killing 34 passengers and destroying the tracks.

The Kilinochchi station on the day of the test run. Pic: Susantha Wijegunasekera

Preparation at Kilinochchi prior to the opening

Human rights groups who still try to dig out only the last few days of the war and discredit the Security Forces were silent as in the many other cases where civilians were massacred by Tiger terrorists This attack ended north-south rail transport and the terrorists uprooted rail tracks to build reinforced underground bunkers virtually cutting off the South from the North.

Sri Lanka's Northern Line from Vavuniya to Kankesanthurai in the northernmost tip of the island was completely destroyed by the Tamil Tiger terrorists during the three-decade long war on terrorism. Kilinochchi was the capital of the de facto State run by the Tamil Tiger terrorist outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The Sri Lankan Army captured Kilinochchi in 2009.

Uturu Wasanthaya

Since then it took nearly 28 years for a political leader to rebuild this link which would help Northerners to transport their goods and services and to make the travel between the North and South shorter and more convenient.

The decision to rebuild the Northern railway was taken long before the decision was taken to hold the Northern elections clearly underlining that this is not a election gimmick as done by previous governments.

The government was sincere in their efforts to rebuild the North and East and already an international harbour was gifted to the people by opening the Oluvil harbour. The Uturu Wasanthaya, Negenahira Udayana and opening power girds, modern hospitals water supply plans were also parts of the sincere efforts of the government to help normalcy to North East and help them to live better lives. These were all done when holding an election was not even dreamt of.IRCON International Limited, a state owned construction firm of India, under Indian Railways, is executing the 252 km Northern Railway Project in Sri Lanka. IRCON International Limited started its Sri Lanka charter with the project of up-grading the Matara-Galle-Kalutara railway line in March, 2009.

The Medawachchiya-Madhu Road section of the Northern Railway project is also completed and has been taken over by SLR, while work on the other sections is progressing as per schedule. All these projects are funded through Indian lines of credit.

Three locomotives

Officials in a locomotive during a test run

Three locomotives were handed over to augment the progress of the Northern Railway Projects in July.

The Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, India, is the production unit owned by Indian Railways that manufactures diesel-electric locomotives along with its spare parts. It is the largest diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer in India. These Locomotives are supplied by Ircon International Limited, the construction agency for the Northern Railway Projects. As part of their contractual commitments, IRCON has imported three Locomotives to Sri Lanka in March which were commissioned and are currently in use.

Up to yesterday trains operated from Colombo Fort Railway Station only up to Omanthai. The distance of the railway track from Omanthai to Kilinochchi is 63 kilometres. Construction of the track from Omanthai to Kilinochchi has been concluded under the first stage of the 150 kilometre railway line from Omanthai to Kankesanturai.

The construction of the whole Northern Line up to Kankasanthurai would be completed by the end of 2014 and all the previous railway stations which were destroyed during the conflict are to be re-established.

Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) authorities last month conducted a test run on the Northern Railway Line re-built from Vavuniya to Kankesanthurai, in the Jaffna peninsula. The train left the Omanthai railway station at 9.30 in the morning and it reached Kilinochchi railway station at 10.10 a.m. Yesterday (Saturday) President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially launch the train service on the reconstructed railway line from Omanthai to Kilinochchi reopening a new chapter in the railway history of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) will now operate three trains to Kilinochchi daily.

Night mail

A SLR spokesman said this will include the Yal Devi which operated up to Omanthai earlier, the Deyata Kirula intercity train which ran upto Medawachchiya earlier and the night mail train from Colombo. According to the schedule, the Yal Devi will leave Colombo Fort at 5.45 a.m. and reach the Kilinochchi station at 12.35 p.m.

The Deyata Kirula intercity train will leave the Colombo Fort station at 6.50 am and reach the Kilinochchi station at 11.48 pm.The night mail train will leave the Colombo Fort station at 10.15pm and arrive at Kilinochchi at 4.10am (next day). On the return journey, the Yal Devi will leave the Kilinochchi station at 6 am and arrive at the Colombo Fort station at 1pm. The Deyata Kirula intercity train will leave Kilinochchi at 2.18 pm and reach Colombo Fort at 7.16pm.Meanwhile, the night mail train will leave the Kilinochchi station at 8.30 pm and arrive at Colombo Fort at 4.40 am (next day).

The re-construction of the northern railway line and return of the Yal Devi express train to Kilinochchi will not only see the resumption of the normal train services to the North after 20 years, but, will also symbolise the liberation of the northern people from LTTE terrorism and return of democracy to the north.

The train could travel at a speed of 120 kmh since it has been constructed by IRCON, a Indian Company. A new signalling and telecommunication system for the railway Northern network has been installed with all level crossings interlocked with a new signalling system, to ensure safety.

The Commercial Bank of Sri Lanka also came up to support this endeavour investing millions of rupees to build the railway station in Kilinochchi. This to date is their biggest ever CSR project in one location.

The station was build according to the specifications given by the Railway engineers and includes all modern facilities including restrooms, toilets, and facilities and also has a Commercial Bank Teller machine. This also another instance where the private sector too came to help rebuild north and East.

In addition to opening the railway station President would also and also inaugurated the Chunnakam Grid substation constructed by Ceylon Electricity Board connecting the Jaffna peninsula with the national grid after a lapse of two decades.

Over 63 Mw of power is to be transmitted to the Jaffna peninsular through the substation for which the Government has spent Rs. 1,800 million. More than 120,000 households and the small and mega scale industries in the peninsula will be supplied electricity from the national grid. The Government has allocated Rs. 3,839 million for this mega electrification project.

Asian Tribune visited Kilinochchi Railway Station and saw nearly 400 workers working in the railway station and rail track to enable Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa to declare open the station on 14th of this month and the train services up to Kilinochchi and dedicate it to the people of the North according to a report filed by Asian Tribune.

Pix: Sudath Malaweera