Reply To:
Name - Reply Comment
Last Updated : 2024-04-26 18:26:00
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.
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.
Reply To:
Name - Reply Comment
US authorities are currently reviewing the manifest of every cargo aboard MV
On March 26, a couple arriving from Thailand was arrested with 88 live animal
According to villagers from Naula-Moragolla out of 105 families 80 can afford
Is the situation in Sri Lanka so grim that locals harbour hope that they coul
58 minute ago
3 hours ago