Rail bus service back on track

11 May 2011 11:53 pm

A new rail bus service from Gal-Oya to Trincomalee will commence on May 26 as part of the Eastern Development Project, the Railways Department said yesterday.

Railways Director of Planning, Wijaya Samarasinghe said that two new Ashok Leyland buses recently donated to Sri Lanka will be modified to create a rail bus for the purpose of the new railway service.

Samarasinghe said Sri Lanka is the only country in the Asian region that modifies buses to rail buses. The wheels of the two buses are removed and then joint together and further modifications are made accordingly, he said.

He said the new rail bus service will be officially declared open by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ashok K. Kantha in the presence of Minister Transport Kumara Welgama, Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake and other ministry officials. (Olindhi Jayasundere)