• Mahawa-Omanthai line being renovated under $ 91 mn Indian credit line
• Station Masters call for double line, call renovation a ‘white elephant’

Trains running from Colombo Fort to Kankesanthurai (KKS) are scheduled to run

only to the Anuradhapura Railway Station from today (5) onwards due to

renovation work being conducted on the railway line from Mahawa to Omanthai,

which is being carried out at a cost of more than $ 91 million under an Indian

credit scheme.

However, the Sri Lanka Railway Station Master’s Union (SLRSMU) stated that at a

time when the use of trains as a means of transport has increased, the limitation

of trains from Colombo Fort to Kankesanthurai, the services of which are utilised

by a large portion of the population, and the mere modernisation of the railway

line instead of developing it into a double railway line is extremely

disadvantageous.

“Even a common man will understand that instead of modernising the existing

railway line, it is advantageous to keep it and develop it into a double railway line.

If such development work is carried out, it will provide numerous benefits for the

country, eliminating the need to restrict train operations. Spending so much

money and developing the existing line, without implementing a similar

development, is useless,” said SLRSMU General Secretary Kasun Chamara. With railway lines developed into double lines, he noted, in the event of a sudden

train derailment, it will be possible to use the other track to continue operating

trains. He also claimed that the same officials who prepared the agreements for

this project will suggest in the near future that this railway line should be

developed into a double line.

“We are against the misappropriation of public funds through such national

projects because even the money of the people who have never travelled in a

train is spent on these corrupt transactions. We have continuously informed the

administration and the other authorities, including the Presidential Secretariat, in

writing about this, but no proper attention has been paid to it,” added Chamara.

He also said that if there was a need to modernise the existing railway line, the

relevant work could have been accomplished during the period when train

operations were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, he said that

discontinuing the project during that time and attempting to resume it at a time

when the passenger use of trains has increased reveals the weaknesses in the

project planning mechanism of the Railways Department.

“Previously, the Coastal Railway Line was also modernised and only the existing

railway line was developed under the project. It is now being developed section by

section as a double line. A great financial loss occurred in that project due to the

failure to identify the needs of the country. Similarly, we say with great

responsibility that the modernisation project of the Mahawa-Omanthai railway

line will also become another white elephant,” said Chamara.

Former Railways General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara told The Morning in

December 2021 that it was not possible to make changes to the project of

modernising the railway line from Mahawa to Omanthai, as an agreement had

already been signed with an Indian company for its implementation. However, he

said that it was hoped that the views and suggestions of all parties in the Railways

Department in planning such projects will be taken into consideration in the

future.