Matara railway contractor's generous helping hand:

Building schools along the way

Text and pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA - Matara Sports Cor.

A massive bridges spanning across the Southern terrain

The route map

Construction in progress

The longest railway tunnel in the country

One of the bridges along the line

CMC Project Manager, Wu Fanyu

The students of Naotunna Mixed School in Kekanadura, a few meters from culvert DK 8 of the Southern Railway extension sat at their new desks paying attention to the teacher explaining a lesson on a new white board, while senior students enjoyed a game of volleyball on their school ground. It was not long ago that the 160 students of Naotunna Mixed School were in need of desks, chairs, sports equipment and much more, but most of that has changed, after work on the southern railway extension started.

Watching the big machines at work these children knew that once the new railway line was commissioned they and their parents could reach Colombo conveniently in less than three hours and it would be more fun, less tiring and cheaper than travelling by bus. They had heard the elders say, those working in Colombo or along the route could commute to work daily and be with their families each night, rather than spend five days in a dingy little boarding. They heard them say the fare would be only the cost of a meal in Colombo which made them look forward to the day when work on the railroad would be complete.

School equipment

"Ours is a small school with minimal facilities," said, Principal of Naotunna Mixed School A K Sarathkumara. "We faced some inconvenience when the China Machinery Corporation (CMC) started work on the railway project near our school. With so many vehicles passing our premises we were concerned for the safety of our children. We cautioned the management of CMC who in turn requested all their drivers to be extra cautious and vigilant. On seeing the condition of the school they surprised us by providing the school with desks, chairs, white boards, sports equipment and much more. They have promised to build a few more classrooms too," he added.

The entrance to a tunnel

Likewise, the CMC has provided equipment to almost all the schools along the southern railway extension. In addition to Naotunna Mixed School they provided a public address system and other equipment to the Dikwella North MV near the Wewurkannala station and gifts to even pre-schools along the route.

China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC) which has been awarded the contract for phase one of the Southern Railroad extension was established in 1950, and is a founding subsidiary of the state owned China General Technology Group (Genetec) established in 1998. "CMC is engaged in international project contracting in addition to the supply of machinery and electrical products. Among the major international projects undertaken by CMC, the Ankara - Istanbul High Speed Railway project completed in 2014 should be taken note of," said Wu Fanyu CMC's Project Manager in Matara.

First railway

Delving into Sri Lanka's history, it was learned that the first railway line to be constructed in the country was the 54 kilometre Colombo - Ambepussa line commissioned in 1864 while the last railway line to be constructed was the Trincomalee and Batticaloa extensions in 1928.

It was almost eighty years later that a new railway line was being constructed in the island when work on the extension of the southern railway line got underway in August 2006, but unfortunately it did not go beyond completing the bridge across the Nilwala River at Piladuwa in August 2008.

.A Chinese staffer makes an offering to the Sangha at the commencement of the Kataragama Railway Extension Project.

Students of Naotunna Mixed School, Kekanadura playing volleyball

But, five years later, on August 1 2013 work on the 26.75 kilometer extension from Matara to Beliatta was re-commenced by CMC and was to be completed within three years, but due to unforeseen challenges faced by the project it would take 14 months more and is expected to be ready for inspection and handing over by the end of September 2017. This first phase costing 248.2 million USD financed by China's EXIM Bank comprises 26.75 kilometers of a single line railway track, four stations and two sub stations covering a total floor area of 24,000 square meters, 66 culverts, 12 bridges totalling 3,789 meters in length, two tunnels totalling 882 meters in length and 3.4 million cubic meters of earthwork. CMC has two beam yards where the massive girders are cast.

Double-decked

The four stations will be at Kekanadura, Bambarenda, Wewurukannala and Beliatta while the substations will be at Piladuwa and Werahena.

There would be many records to be rewritten once this stretch of railroad is completed as the 615-meter railway tunnel at Nakuttiyagama will be the longest railway tunnel in Sri Lanka when commissioned. The 1.5 kilometer Wattegama bridge would be the longest railway bridge in the island and the 15-metre tall Weralagoda bridge the tallest railway bridge; while the double-decked underpass at the Wewurukannala station would be the first of its kind in the island. It is learnt that the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has given the green light for CMC to submit a technical and financial proposal of feasibility for Phase II of the 48km Beliatta - Hambantota stretch extension of the Southern Railway line.