7 April 2019 01:17 pm
The newly constructed Matara -Beliatta railway extension will be vested with the public tomorrow, the Ministry of Transport said.
The first train will leave for Beliatta from Matara Railway Station 9.00 a.m tomorrow.
The Ministry said that there would be seven trains on the Matara - Beliatta railway line which will start from the Beliatta Railway station.
Four trains will leave to Maradana, one will leave for Galle while other two trains will leave for Jaffna and Vavuniya respectively.
In addition, six trains will reach at the Beliatta railway station in which five of them from Maradana while one train from Vavuniya.
The 113-kilometer railway line from Matara to Kataragama is to be completed in three phases and the Matara to Beliatta segment is the first phase of the project.
The second phase of the project is the 48-kilometre segment from Beliatta to Hambantota and in the third phase, the track will be extended to another 39 kilometres covering Hambantota and Kataragama.
Construction of the Matara to Beliatta section was carried out at a cost of US$ 278 million by a Chinese company with the funding from China Exim Bank. Supervision was done, under the guidance of the Central Engineering Bureau.
Main stations have been constructed at Kekunadura, Bambarenda, Wevurukannala and Beliatta. Two substations have been set up at Piladuwa and Veherahena.
The first class fare from Beliatta to Matara is Rs. 120. The second class is Rs. 70 and the third class is 35, the ministry said.