Saturday, 1st November 2014
Close on the heels of the inauguration of the Pallai-Jaffna reconstructed railway track and signal system by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, IRCON International, a public sector undertaking under the Indian Railways Ministry, achieved yet another milestone with the completion of a successful trial run on the rehabilitated Madhu Road- Thiruketheeswaram railway track yesterday.
The trial commenced from Madhu Road station and was completed at the newly constructed Thiruketheeswaram Station, also constructed by IRCON. This corridor has one crossing station at Murungan and two halt stations at Mathotomb and Thiruketheeswaram.
Sri Lanka Railways Project Director Lasantha Dandeniya, Consultants (CECB) team leader Capt. Senerath Perera and IRCON project in charge V.K. Jayasankar along with senior officers from Sri Lanka Railway, CECB and IRCON were present at the trial run.
Mannar Government Agent M.S.Deshapriya also participated.
The Madhu Road- Thiruketheeswaram reconstructed track of 26 km length is part of the 252 km Northern Railway Line Project, being implemented by IRCON under a concessional credit line amounting to about US$ 800 million provided by the Indian government to the Sri Lankan government.
IRCON has already completed rehabilitation of nearly 200 km of railway tracks, along with the installation of a signaling system in the Omanthai-Jaffna and Medhawachhiya-Madhu Road sectors.
Trains are plying regularly on all these sectors. With the successful completion of the trial run on Madhu Road-Thiruketheeswaram, IRCON is one step closer to achieving rail connectivity to Talaimannar.
Towards timely completion of the remaining portion of the Northern Railway line, work is carried out simultaneously on the Thiruketheeswaram-Talaimannar section and Jaffna-Kankesanthurai section, together with signaling and communications work.
The reconstructed railway track is designed with a speed potential of 120 kmph. Rail joints have been avoided using most modern welding technology to enable this speed and a comfortable riding experience. Latest technologies including pre-stressed concrete sleepers, cast manganese steel) crossings with standard turnouts, long welded rails with switch expansion joints, modern signaling and telecom, flash butt welding and mechanised tamping and packing have been used in the project to ensure a long lasting track, with minimal requirement of maintenance. Local manpower and agencies have also been deployed in the execution of this project, generating local employment and skill development.
The completion of the railway line up to Talaimnannar would renew rail connectivity between Mannar and the rest of the country. The resumption of the ferry service between Talaimannar and Rameshwaram would make it possible for Sri Lankan citizens to travel by train from Hambantota and Matara to any part of India, thereby augmenting connectivity in the sub-continent.
http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/madhu-road-thiruketheeswaram-railway-track
