Modi flags off Talaimannar train service

14 March 2015 09:09 am - 6 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off a train service at the north-western Sri Lankan town of Talaimannar – the closest point to India – restored after decades of civil war, completing the reconstruction of the entire Northern Province Railway Line.

Accompanied by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Modi also unveiled a plaque inaugurating Talaimannar 1650 Pier Railway station.

Modi flew in here by an IAF chopper from the ancient holy town of Anuradhapura where he offered prayers at the sacred Mahabodhi tree. He is on his way to Jaffna, a former war zone in the island’s Tamil-majority Northern Province.

The newly-constructed 63-km railway track between Madhu Road and Talaimannar Pier is the last segment of the 265-km long, prestigious Northern Railway Line Reconstruction Project which is being executed by IRCON International Ltd., a Government of India owned company.

It is designed with a speed potential of 120 km per hour.

The completion of the rail projects in the northern region is a big step towards providing safe, time and fuel efficient, comfortable and environment friendly transport service to the people of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan officials said that after commissioning of the new section, the commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka to restore rail track connectivity in the Northern Province after a lapse of 25 years has been fulfilled.

This will also fulfill the long-cherished dream of the local Tamil people for having direct rail connectivity to Colombo that will also help in the reconciliation efforts of Government of Sri Lanka, they said. (New Indian Express)

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Comments - 6

ranga Saturday, 14 March 2015 04:06 PM

Surprising that no one is accused of making a buck from the project...

hiran Gunawardena Saturday, 14 March 2015 08:10 PM

This train service is a result of MR aggressive development programme. Now they raising flags like they did for propaganda. I dont know to laugh or be sad to these place. Srilankans are easily forgotten past Yesterdays heros are forgotten and anyone who walk through back door and only talk and no work welcome. No surprise this is our banana republic!

Javi Sunday, 15 March 2015 12:27 AM

China is Spain’s biggest trading partner after the EU, with bilateral trade worth around £16bn. It is also Spain’s third largest source of imports, after Germany and France. About half of these imports are made up of mobile phones and clothing. The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, was in China in September, where he signed deals reported to be worth more than £6.3bn.A major advantage of the rail route is speed. The train took just three weeks to complete a journey that takes up to six weeks by sea. It is also more environmentally friendly than road transport, which would produce 114 tonnes of CO2 to shift the same volume of goods, compared with the 44 tonnes produced by the train – a 62% reduction.Greatest happiness is in the movement of the bowels(^O^)

Keerthi Wijesinghe Sunday, 15 March 2015 12:34 AM

Nothing compare to a simple pleasure of a train ride.

david strange Sunday, 15 March 2015 07:33 AM

Didnt Mahinda Rajapakse take credit for some of the construction to Palaly sometime ago when in actual factit was the indians who built ?Politics is a "funny game in this part of the world.

Roger Sunday, 15 March 2015 06:48 PM

Better to use something that has been built spending billions rather than let it unused because it was previous governments project!! Make sense?

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Modi flags off Talaimannar train service

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