By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): In the wake of an ambitious plan of Sri Lanka Railways restructure for better service, Transport and Highways Ministry has signed a contract with India’s IRCON International Limited for the design, installation, testing, and commissioning of a Signaling system along the Maho to Anuradhapura route, spanning 66 kilometers.
The contract, valued at US$14.90 million, was inked in the presence of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Transport and Highways, Bandula Gunawardane, and India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay.
The project, which will be executed under an Indian Line of Credit of USD 318 million, is set to bolster transportation links and foster economic growth.
High Commissioner Mr. Baglay emphasized the significance of this initiative for Sri Lanka, reflecting India’s commitment to supporting its neighbour.
He highlighted that the credit line for this project in the current situation, symbolizes the continued desire of the Government and the people of India to stand with the people of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s Transport and Mass Media Minister Gunawardane expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government for their support, particularly during Sri Lanka’s recent economic challenges.
It was also pointed out that Sri Lankan railway projects have received support in the form of LOCs in recent times only from India.
Projects of over US$ 1 billion in the Railway sector have been completed under 5 Indian LOCs to date. .
IRCON is currently involved in a $ 91.27 million project to upgrade and rehabilitate the railway line from Maho to Omanthai, covering a distance of 128 kilometers.
The track rehabilitation from Anuradhapura to Omanthai is already finished, while work on the Anuradhapura to Maho section is scheduled to begin in January 2024.
India continues to finance and provide expertise to upgrade and modernize Sri Lanka’s railway system.
Indian public sector unit IRCON is upgrading the railway line, which includes ancillary work, from Maho to Omanthai, at a cost of USD 91.27 million under an existing Indian Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 318 million, the Indian High Commission said
IRCON International, an Indian Railways subsidiary that began operating in Sri Lanka in March 2009, has improved the 115-km-long Southern line and rebuilt the whole 253-km-long network of rail lines in the Northern Province to help modernize Sri Lanka’s rail network.
Through the installation of a cutting-edge signaling and communications system on a 330-km section of the Sri Lankan railway line, IRCON has also helped to ensure safety and dependability.
