COLOMBO: Sri Lanka inaugurated the newly built railway track between Jaffna and Kankasanthurai covering distance of 18 kilometers, which established a direct train link with Colombo.
This track corridor has two crossing stations at Kondavil and Chunnakam and five halt stations at Kokuvil, Inuvil, Mallakam, Tellipalai and Mavittapuram.
Sections between Omanthai to Jaffna (129 km) and Medawachchiya – Thiruketheeswaram (69km) have already been made operational and with the opening of this Jaffna, Kankesanthurai section, a total of 215 kilometer track length will be completed.
Yal Devi, the famous train on this route which is presently running up to Jaffna, will be covering this new section shortly.
The railway tracks from Omanthai to Kankesanthurai and Medawachchiya to Talai Mannar Pier were completely destroyed during the prolonged ethnic war conflict.
The government of India had extended its support to the Government of Sri Lanka to rebuild the 252 km railway track in the Northern Province by providing a line of credit of 800 million US dollars.
The remaining 37 Km long stretch between Thiruketheeswaram and Talai Mannar Pier is due to be completed by March 2015.
