India and Sri Lanka joined forces to improve the island nation’s railway system. They invested $91.27 million in various projects to upgrade it, making it easier to transport goods and services and boosting the economy.
On Sunday, Sri Lanka’s Transport Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena and India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha officially kicked off several projects. Minister Gunawardena expressed gratitude to India for its support, particularly in the transportation sector.
The Indian High Commissioner expressed happiness that as a long-standing development partner of Sri Lanka, India worked on projects to improve the Northern and Southern Railway lines, aligning with what the Sri Lankan government needs and wants.
How much does the project cost?
Jha highlighted the importance of upgrading Sri Lanka’s railways to improve the movement of goods and services, boosting the economy. The entire project costs $ 91.27 million, and the second phase, from Maho to Anuradhapura, is set to finish in six months.
The launched works involve rehabilitating the Galgamuwa Railway Station and upgrading the railway line from Maho to Anuradhapura, including additional tasks. Another project is the second phase of track rehabilitation from Maho to Omanthai (128 kms), funded by a $318 million Indian Line of Credit.
Transport Minister Gunawardena praised the efforts of Indian company IRCON in Sri Lanka and called for more cooperation in the railway sector. State Minister Shantha Bandara and officials from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Transport attended the event.
Railways is a priority for Indian assistance in Sri Lanka, with over $1 billion invested under five Indian Lines of Credit. IRCON has been involved in Sri Lanks since 2009. It has contributed to the modernisation of Sri Lanka Railways by reconstructing the entire railway line network in the Northern Province (253 Km) and upgradation of the Southern line (115 km), as well as improving safety through advanced signalling and telecommunication systems.
Despite Sri Lanka’s debt standstill in April 2022, India’s support under various Lines of Credit has continued.
(With PTI inputs)