Anuradhapura [Sri Lanka], April 6 : India's assistance to Sri Lanka's railway development is expected to boost the country's economy significantly. The upgraded railway track from Maho to Omanthai, spanning 128 kilometers, will allow for faster travel times, increased load capacity and improved safety.
In conversation with ANI, Hari Mohan Gupta, Chairperson and Managing Director of Ircon International Limited, said that India's assistance is of great significance to the debt-ridden nation.
"We have brought the modern track structure that we provide in Indian Railways and now after its construction, the maximum speed will be done at a speed of 120km per hour and the booked speed will be done at a speed of 100km per hour and the load carrying capacity will be up to 20 tonnes, so this will result in tremendous uplift in the economy of Sri Lanka," said Hari Mohan Gupta.
These improvements are expected to have a positive impact on tourism, a significant sector in Sri Lanka's economy. The upgraded railway line will also benefit the local public, enhancing their overall well-being
"There will be a lot of boom because of the travel time, which will be reduced by about three hours from the northern part of Sri Lanka to the adjacent parts of Sri Lanka, so tourism will get a big boost. Sri Lanka is known for its tourism and lives in the hearts of our Indians. Sri Lanka is very mythologically very pleasant memories. So, this will benefit the Sri Lankan public a lot, so their general well-being will be very good," he said.
The project was executed by Ircon International Limited, an Indian public sector undertaking, with funding from the Ministry of External Affairs. The upgrade was completed in two phases between January 2023 and September 2024.
"This is a 128km long project. We executed the process from Maho to Omanthai in two parts. Anuradhapuram to Omanthai, which is a 63km-long project, we started its track upgradation work in January 2023, and we finished it in July 2023. After that, we caught the portion from Maho to Anuradhapuram, which is 65 km long. We started its work in January 2024," he said.
"And when we finished it in September 2024, this line of credit, which was funded by the Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs, was done. The old track structure was in very miserable condition because it was very old, which also had many rails," he said.
Gupta added that after the initial construction, the rails got corroded and used to make loud sounds. The new rails built with Indian assistance will help the Sri Lankan economy.
"When it got old, it was corroded, and it had fish-plated joints, so there used to be a loud sound. The speed maximum could go 60-65 and its load carrying capacity could be up to a maximum of 17 tons. So by upgrading this, we installed concrete sleepers and rail 60 kg of flash butt welded joints and provided switch expansion joints," he said.
"Ircon has been here since 2009. You will be happy to know and the track which was the Northern Portion of was in Sri Lanka," he added.
He added that PM Modi and Dissanayake's launch will benefit the people of Sri Lanka.
"We got this 128 km of work later, which we have now completed, and today it is a matter of great pleasure that today the Honorable Prime Minister of India and the Honorable President of Sri Lanka have agreed this project to our Sri Lankan Government to the country of Sri Lanka. They are offering, and the purpose of both is to make life better for the public here and make them happier," he said.
PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday will jointly launch the signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura railway line--a project supported by the Indian government; they will also launch the railway track of the Maho-Omanthai railway line.