Sri Lanka's Southern Rail Track to be Expedited Under Two Stages

24th November 2009, firstlanka.com

The Southern rail track project is to get underway in two stages for early conclusion. Development on the coastal railway line is to be expedited under two stages. The Ministry of Transport said development work on the first stage will begin next January on the railway track, between Galle and Matara.

The first stage of the reconstruction is to last four months. And transport between Galle and Matara will be suspended during this period.

A joint bus service will be conducted between Galle and Matara during this period for the convenience of passengers. A sum of 160 million Rupees is to be spent on the project. The Department of Railways says travelling time of train journey from Colombo to Matara will be shortened to two hours with the development of the coastal railway line. The Ruhunu Kumari train currently takes three hours and forty minutes to cover the distance.