Opening of Maho-Anuradhapura railway line cancelled indefinitely

12 September 2024 11:57 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 17 Bookmark

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By Dayaratne Embogama

The opening of the railway line from Maho to Anuradhapura today was cancelled due to officials in charge of the project reporting that it has not been completed yet, the Railways Department said.

A senior official of the department said the opening ceremony was to be held in Anuradhapura and a temporary railway platform had been erected near the proposed elephant tunnel for the invitees attending the ceremony to disembark.

However, the officials in charge of the project have informed the Railways Department that the elephant tunnel-way at Getadiuya in Ambanpola and the renovation of six railway stations between Maho and Anuradhapura have not yet been completed. They have informed that the colour signal system between Maho and Anuradhapura has not yet been installed as well and that the operation of trains would be unsafe in view of these shortcomings.

A senior official said steps were taken to suspend the opening ceremony indefinitely in view of this report.

Comments - 17

Yohan Thursday, 12 September 2024 12:03 PM

Jeppas sabotage operation!

23 13

Krish Thursday, 12 September 2024 01:46 PM

Well nothing stopping anyone from having a opening ceremony, only politicians cannot participate because of presidential election. And why need a ceremony in the first place. We are bancrupted after all. I hope you understand that opening ceremony is not necessary to start operations on a railway line.

0 19

Sakya Thursday, 12 September 2024 12:18 PM

A missed opportunity to market it to the voters, very unfortunate for those who want to open the rail line even if it is not completed thinking it will positively contribute to the election campaign. Kudos to the officials for doing the right thing

3 29

Kays Thursday, 12 September 2024 01:17 PM

You should be thinking about why it takes more than a year to rehabilitate an existing track. What does this say about the productivity of railway dept officials? No reason why station renovation and signal system cannot be done in parallel? These officials should be ashamed to make such statements. Have you seens how the repair gangs work--5 men working and 10 men resting/chatting at any given time.

2 22

dsarath Thursday, 12 September 2024 01:29 PM

Thanks to Hon Ranil Wickremasinghe, now the courts are functioning without influence, public officials carrying out their duties freely, etc. This would never happen under a draconian Marxist NPP rule.

24 15

joshua Thursday, 12 September 2024 04:41 PM

keep dreaming

3 4

Cherath Thursday, 12 September 2024 02:07 PM

This is just a short rack of a railway line. Even that is proving to be monumental. When can one dream of subway lines, cable cars from the hill country to the coast, sky trains in Colombo and Kandy?

0 10

If and when Thursday, 12 September 2024 10:06 PM

Don't say that. SL'll be like Singapore soon. Yah, in the rankings we are just one spot below Singapore. So when RW wins the presidency before next presidential election SL will be like Singapre. Don't get me wrong. If RW becomes the president of Singapore then Singapore will be like Sri Lanka. LOL

0 5

Ghouse Thursday, 12 September 2024 02:10 PM

The government said the project would take only six months to complete (ETC June 31), but I can't see anything new on our railway station (Maho); it is still a 50-year-old station. The Maho railway crossing is the most frequently closed in Sri Lanka.

0 6

namal Thursday, 12 September 2024 02:12 PM

There should be a time frame to complete the project, authorities should check the deadline given at the time of award of the project. Delay means loss of income to the Railway Department and to the Country too.

0 11

Upulpb Thursday, 12 September 2024 02:19 PM

Bandula is going to miss what was to be his last photo shoot on our account

0 15

Wiseman Thursday, 12 September 2024 02:55 PM

We don't need opening ceremonies for anything in Sri Lanka. Look at UAE, they build buildings and bridges every month and no politician or leader comes to open, they only mention in media that it was built and opened.

0 17

Disgruntled passenger Thursday, 12 September 2024 04:28 PM

Opening ceremonies must be banned. Politicians attending opening ceremonies must be made illegal. Do we wish to move forward. Ban,Ban,Ban unwanted opening ceremonies.Waste of time and money. Once it’s completed the civil servant in charge must give the green light to go ahead. I will vote for the candidate who publicly states that he will ban opening ceremonies and will decline such invitations. It’s beggars belief that this main line has not yet completed. Give it to INDIAN RAILWAYS PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE.

0 8

R Navaratnam Thursday, 12 September 2024 06:27 PM

Waste of tax payers money. Journalists have the responsibility to highlight such waste of tax payers money; unfortunately they do not.

0 8

dinesh Thursday, 12 September 2024 08:04 PM

another election gimmick opportunity gone to waste...aney paw...

0 7

Nimal 1 Thursday, 12 September 2024 08:09 PM

Nothing exemplifies the inefficiency and the lethargy of all activities of this sordid regime than these wretched actions. The minister and his stooges seem to have totally ignored the safety of passengers to implement a project that should have been completed in time for Poson 2024. All that they want is to boost their ego, no matter whether the safety and the convenience of the people are heinously ignored.

0 7

Pala Thursday, 12 September 2024 11:38 PM

Yet another election gimmick falls flat on Ranil. Looks like the railway line contract was won by the same people who won the contract to build the Volkswagen factory.

0 7

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