Matara-Kataragama railway line:

Work on first phase begins

Irangika Range

The Government has begun construction on the first phase of the proposed Matara-Kataragama railway line from Matara to Beliatta.

Sri Lanka Railways General Manager P.P. Wijesekara said a contract to construct the first phase between Matara to Beliatta was signed with a Chinese company recently.

The length of the stretch from Matara to Beliatta is 30 km which will be constructed with Chinese Government financial assistance.

”With the extension of the railway line from Matara to Kataragama, it would provide a more comfortable journey to Kataragama, a sacred city for Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim devotees ,” he said.

This project is one of the pilot projects under the Mahinda Chintana. “We have now taken the initiative to extend the railway line in three stages. Under the first stage, railway track will be extended from Matara to Beliatta while the track will extend upto Hambantota from Beliatta under the second stage,” he pointed out.

Under the last phase, the railway line will extended from Hambantota to Kataragama.

”There are four railway stations to be constructed basically between Matara to Beliatta. But following public demand, we can set up more stations,” he said.

According to the General Manager, feasibility studies have already been completed and the laying of the railway track will commence soon.

The construction of four bridges over Nilwala Ganga, Walawe Ganga, Kirindi Oya and Kirama Oya are the most costly and time consuming tasks. The new bridge across the Nilwala ganga about a mile beyond the Matara railway station has already been constructed. The Government has planned to expedite the southern rail track up to Kataragama at the earliest.