Foreign financial assistance sought to electrify Kelani Valley railway line

28 July 2022 07:45 am - 19 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

Amid the growing demand for public transport, Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Bandula Gunawardane is planning to seek foreign funds to electrify the Kelani Valley (KV) railway line.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet decision media briefing on Tuesday, he revealed that the government plans to approach multilateral donor agencies to secure funding for the project.

A feasibility study and the detailed engineering design have been completed for the electrification of the Maradana-Padukka section of the KV railway line.

The KV railway line was inaugurated from Colombo to Avissawella in 1902 and to Opanayake in 1919. However, its services were cut down to Avissawella as a dedicated passenger service in 1974. Gunawardena noted that several initiatives are already underway to increase the frequencies of trains operated on the line within this year. Meanwhile, he stressed that it’s unfair to pass down the losses incurred by Sri Lanka Railways to all taxpayers.

According to him, Sri Lanka Railways is incurring massive losses up to Rs.40 billion per annum while the revenue is not even sufficient to cover the wages of the Railway employees.

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 19

Preshi Rem Thursday, 28 July 2022 08:37 AM

Get the light railway restarted with Japan. Bed beg beg forgiveness for the past mistakes of this dumber than dumb hovernment

Wixie Thursday, 28 July 2022 08:42 AM

Original was Colombo to Yatiyantota, then via Ratnapura to Opanake.

Tissa Fernando Thursday, 28 July 2022 08:44 AM

Make Railway private corporation. Get rid of useless lazy employees. Electrify all routes. Introduce higher speed and better trains. With high speed train , the journey time from Hambantota to Colombo could be less than one hour. Instead of spending on roads, invest in trains. But give contract to either Japan, China or South Korea . They are having more advanced systems. We should not end up in lorry trains like lorry busses.

Seqi Thursday, 28 July 2022 08:46 AM

The stations will need to be portable so as to accommodate power cuts..... On the other hand the station cafes will make hay during power cuts.

Nish Thursday, 28 July 2022 08:51 AM

Well revenue is not sufficient to cover even wages. Railways is not alone in this. SL should look at all public sector agencies and they are full of useless workers. Every Minister and MP gave jobs to their supporters resulting in too many public sector employees, doing nothing. This is one of the many problems in SL. without significant reforms, the country is doomed.

DD Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:07 AM

With this kind of power cuts is it feasible, are we addressing the continuous supply of electricity for a smooth service. What happened to the main line up electrification to Rambukana and the project for coastal line and up to Negombo

Sumal Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:08 AM

Stop giving permits to MPs. Sell all vehicles given to MPs and ministers. This country never benefitted from giving permits and vehicles to MPs and ministers.

SL Citizen Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:09 AM

Significant number of office staff travel without ticket may be due to the long queue at counters, increase the ticket issuing counters during peak time and need to do frequent ticket checking in office trains

Truth Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:20 AM

You cancelled the LRT project funded by Japan.

BuffaloaCitizen Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:21 AM

Who the bloody hell is going to invest in crooked and bankrupt country like Sri Lanka? Electrifying Kelaini valley rail is not the priority at the moment, find solutions to the fuel issue.

saman Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:28 AM

if SL Railways are incurring an annual loss of Rs.40B, indirectly it is the tax payer who is footing the bill. Better privatize the SLR

Tak Tik Tuk Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:28 AM

Losses are due to, Mismanagement, Overstaffing and exorbitant salary raises and bonuses.

tilak Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:29 AM

better to privatize the SL Airlines and Railways- it's all the tax payers money that is going down the drain

gamini Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:31 AM

Passengers pay for their tickets, railways are under a loss, railways do not pay the petroleum corporation, so Ceypetco is going on a loss Citizens are the loosers finally, as it their tax money that is used for all these loss making state institutions

Tom jones Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:31 AM

What is your commission Mr. Minister……. ..

Upali Dantanarayana Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:37 AM

"he stressed that it’s unfair to pass down the losses incurred by Sri Lanka Railways to all taxpayers.' Well said, what about the loot that the MPS take - exorbitant salaries, pensions -90% of the MP never open their mouth in the parliament. Who pays for these - You?

Sam Thursday, 28 July 2022 12:30 PM

Crooked thieves the bunch of ministers jarapaksa

Waco Thursday, 28 July 2022 12:35 PM

* KV Railway line can never run at a profit. That one should be upgraded to use normal trains. * Government Departments are over-Staffed due to political appointments. The out put of those employees is very low. Privatisation is the answer.

Saro Thursday, 28 July 2022 12:51 PM

Plug the power cables up his bloody Arse.

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Foreign financial assistance sought to electrify Kelani Valley railway line

Comments - 19

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

‘Spike in blast fishing’ poses renewed threats to Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Most Viewed in News

Former MP Palitha Thewarapperuma dies from electrocution

Racing event tragedy leaves seven dead including eight-year-old child

Street food vendor arrested for verbally harassing foreigner

Two racing drivers arrested over Fox Hill tragedy

Sri Lankan among NASA’s new crew for next simulated Mars journey

New Visa procedure implemented

MIRROR CRICKET

Is Chamari Athapaththu Sri Lanka’s greatest cricketer ever?

Athapaththu back atop ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings

Chamari Athapaththu sets big goal for T20 World Cup

How does CSK get best out of Pathirana?

TODAY'S HEADLINES

No footboard riding allowed, no liability for accidents: Railways Department

Six patients claim Rs.600 million from Keheliya and others for permanent loss of sight

SLPP, UNP initiates action for forming broad alliance

Here is the way!

Pakistan lose key players for last two T20Is against New Zealand

Sri Lanka secures third spot in South Asian Kurash Championship 2024

Athapaththu back atop ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings

Army forms committee to probe Diyatalawa Fox Hill Supercross accident