India to help Sri Lanka with upgradation of railway infrastructure

COLOMBO, Jan 9: India and Sri Lanka have collectively launched a number of works costing USD 91.27 million throughout the island nation to improve the railway community which is able to improve the mobility of products and companies and increase financial exercise.
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Dr Bandula Gunawardena and Excessive Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha ceremonially launched the a number of works on Sunday, a launch from the workplace of the Excessive Fee of India mentioned right here.
Minister of Transport Gunawardena thanked India for the help prolonged to Sri Lanka, particularly within the transport sector.
The Indian Excessive Commissioner expressed happiness that as a long-standing improvement companion of Sri Lanka, India had executed initiatives for the event and rehabilitation of Sri Lanka’s Northern and Southern Railway line over the previous a number of years in keeping with the priorities and necessities of the Authorities of Sri Lanka.
Jha additionally underscored the significance of the modernisation of railways in enhancing the mobility of products and companies in Sri Lanka thereby boosting financial exercise.
“The price of the whole venture is USD 91.27 million of which the second part of rehabilitation from Maho-Anuradhapura is scheduled to be accomplished in a interval of six months,” the discharge added.
The works launched on Sunday embrace monitor rehabilitation work at Galgamuwa Railway Station and commencing upgradation of the railway line together with ancillary works from Maho to Anuradhapura.
It additionally included the second part of a Line of Credit score venture for monitor rehabilitation from Maho-Omanthai (128 kms) being undertaken by an Indian Public Sector firm, IRCON, beneath an Indian Line of Credit score (LOC) of USD 318 million.
Appreciating the work carried out by IRCON in Sri Lanka prior to now few years, Gunawardena known as for larger cooperation between the 2 nations within the railways sector.
Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Mass Media Shantha Bandara and senior officers from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Transport have been additionally current on the occasion.
Railways has been one of many precedence sectors for the Authorities of India’s help to Sri Lanka. Thus far, India has executed initiatives of over USD 1 billion within the railways sector beneath 5 Indian LOCs.
India’s public sector firm, IRCON, began its operations in Sri Lanka in March 2009 and has contributed in direction of the modernisation of Sri Lanka Railways by reconstructing the whole railway line community within the Northern Province (253 Km) and upgradation of Southern line (115 km).
It has additionally contributed to making sure security and reliability by way of a contemporary signalling and telecommunication system on a 330-km stretch of Railway line.
India’s help to Sri Lanka beneath its numerous LOCs has continued regardless of the debt standstill introduced by the Authorities of Sri Lanka in April 2022.
In September 2023, the Ministry of Transport and Highways of Sri Lanka and IRCON Worldwide signed a brand new contract for the design, set up, testing, and commissioning of a signalling system for Sri Lanka Railways, from Maho to Anuradhapura for USD 14.90 million beneath an Indian LOC, the discharge added. (PTI)