Sri Lanka's First Monorail Links Hambantota Airport and Suriyawewa International Cricket Stadium

18th January 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Shirajiv SIRIMANE 

South Asia's first monorail track will be built in Hambantota linking the new Hambantota Airport and the Suriyawewa International cricket stadium. The project is expected to get off the ground next year. Hambantota district

Parliamentarain Namal Rajapaksa told Daily News that this would be a three kilometre stretch and they are currently talking to several investors in this regard.


He said that one of the main aims of this proposed rail track is that it would link key development projects that are already taking place in the City of Hambantota.

"One would be the proposed IT park where over 1.500 would be directly employed and the proposed convention centre, Airport, a 3,000 room apartment complex and several key investment projects," he said.

Since this is a very expensive project the monorail track is expected to be constructed on a build and operate basis where both the investment and maintenance costs would be less expensive to the country.

He also disclosed plans to construct a night market for Hambantota, which would open at 9 p.m. and go on till around 4 a.m. Rajapaksa also said that the Colombo-Marata Highway would be completed by 2013. "This would be extended to

Hambantota by 2016 and the railway line too would be extended to Hambantota," he said.


Related Info :

• Colombo International Airport to Receive 6mn Passengers by 2018. New Hambantota International Airport in Southern Sri Lanka to Open for Commercial Flights from November

Sri Lanka Greater Colombo Mono Rail System to be Set up by a Korean Company

17th August 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Ramani Kangaraarachchi

A leading Korean bluechip company is to invest in Sri Lanka on developing several railway lines in Greater Colombo. This railway system is known as Mono Rail Transport (MRT). The US $ 500 million project will commence work in two stages.The first stage includes construction of a railway line from Colombo Fort to Mount Lavinia.

The second phase will include construction of a railway line connecting Colpetty and Battaramulla via Rajagiriya.

The project initiated by the BOI is a result of the visit of Transport Minister Kumara Welgama to Korea recently, BOI Japan and Korea Country Manager Keerthi Jayawardena said.

He said this is a landmark in Sri Lanka, South Korea co-operation.

The principal investor, Garam Space Ltd President Kin Jong-ik arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday with a delegation of 15 members to commence discussions with the Sri Lankan Government.

“Improving the transport system in the country was a long felt need. Therefore the Government has decided to introduce an Urban Monorail Development Project on the Korea Urban Mono Rail system Technology,” he said.

“Operating a mono rail transport system (MRT) is safe, economical, comfortable and environment friendly,” Jayawardena said.

Garam Space Ltd is a consortium representing Garam Space Research Institute, Korean Rail Research Institute, Busan Transport Corporation and SKCC.

The delegation will submit a feasibility study report to the Sri Lankan Government and have further negotiations with the transport and railway authorities and BOI officials on the implementation of this mono rail service in greater Colombo.

The total investment will be borne by South Korea.