Rail tracks being renovated

By Pabodha Hettige

 The Department of Railways is in the process of renovating rail tracks countrywide in a bid to upgrade the train transportation system.

Planning Director of the department Wijaya Samarasinghe said that the department had implemented a project to identify the areas, which need immediate renovation. According to the department many such places had been identified along the Colombo to Puttlam railway track. All identified places are expected to be renovated within this year.

Plans were also afoot to renovate the Kelani Valley railway track up to Avissawella this year in order to deploy better trains with higher speeds, he said. The tasks were expected to be carried out with the Railway Department funds, he said.

"A new signal system with latest technology is also expected to be introduced for the sections from Anuradhapura to Kankasanturei, under the constructions of the Northern railway project, by the IRCON International Ltd." The railway department would receive US$ 86.5 million from the Indian government for this, Samarasinghe said. The signal system would also be introduced to the section from Medawachchiya to Tallai, which was also under construction. Both projects were expected to be completed within two years, he said.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=46776