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Life on new track for Eastern residents

by Ranil Wijayapala

It was a special occasion for the people in Valachchenai. They were anxiously waiting for that historic occasion of resuming of train services up to Valachchenai after a lapse of six years.

Thousands of people were at the railway station - including women with little ones in their hands and children perched on fences - to catch a glimpse of the iron monstor roaring into view.

Though we were unable to witness the arrival the first train to Valachchenai, the enthusiasm of the people was still evident on their faces when the second train arrived there one hour later.

Women peering through their saris and children waving hands welcomed the train warmly as this was the first tangible evidence of the peace process initiated by the UNF Government.

Staff at the Welikanda railway station literally turned a new page in their ledger book to record the resumption of the train service on March 19 up to Valachchenai.

Seventy two passengers had purchased tickets for the first journey from Welikanda to Valachchenai alone. "We expect the number of passengers to increase tremendously within the next few days," H.R.N. Ranasinghe, Station Master of the Welikanda railway station said.

The Railway Department under its 100 day program extended the train service from Polonnaruwa to Welikanda on the Batticaloa Line on January 14. Following that the Department undertook the repair of the 33 kilometre track from Welikanda to Valachchenai to extend the train service up to Valachchenai.

"It was a difficult task since most of the rails and sleepers had been removed from the track by various people within the past six years. However, the Department with the assistance given by the Ministry achieved this target within the given time frame," a railway official said.

The other step is to restore the rail track from Valachchenai to Batticaloa (32 Kilometres) which is more for the Railway Department since there are many unauthorised structures on the track, the official said.

Mohamed Mansur, a businessman who arrived in Colombo with his two kids from Batticaloa to obtain his passport, was among the passengers in the night mail train from Colombo to Valachchenai.

"I was happy to hear about the resumption of train services to Valachchenai on my arrival in Colombo. I opted to travel by train with my two kids since it is a new experience for them," Mansur said.

Mansur still treasures the two tickets he bought in the 1990s to travel to Colombo with his wife. "When we were ready to come we heard that the train was blasted and we had to come to Colombo by bus," he added.

The train services on the Batticaloa Line were suspended on June 10, 1996 as the Batticaloa bound train was blasted at the Poonany railway station - between Welikanda and Valachchenai - injuring several passengers and damaging the engine. 

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