LONDON, August 2019: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved its first loan to Sri Lanka’s railway sector, providing US$160m towards the US$192m Railway Efficiency Improvement Project. The government is to provide the remaining $32m for the project, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2024, according to a report in the London-based Railway Gazette, a leading provider of news and intelligence for the international railway industry.
Noting that Sri Lanka Railways moves 136·7 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of freight a year, ADB said rail’s market share has declined and the network was overdue for significant modernisation.
The scope of the project includes improvements to operations, maintenance and safety; IT modernisation; skills development including new courses at an upgraded technical training centre; rolling out modern paper, mobile and smart card ticketing; new telecoms providing two-way communications with train drivers; a new operations headquarters and control centre; the provision of track and rolling stock maintenance equipment; and development of an asset inventory and land management strategy.
It also includes studies for transit-oriented development with land value capture, and a suburban rail network to serve Kandy.
‘There is a need to improve public transportation in Sri Lanka to serve a growing population, expected to reach 25 million by 2050’, said ADB Transport Specialist Johan Georget. “An improved railway system will help promote the development of services and industries across Sri Lanka, as well as put the railway as a viable transportation mode of choice for the people. This is particularly the case in suburban Colombo, where the impacts of traffic congestion are strongly felt by all road commuters as vehicle numbers have doubled between 2008 and 2018, while rail commuters often face overcrowded trains.”
The ADB assistance follows other forms of financing that Sri Lanka has secured for its railway sector. In July, a US$91·3m contract for the modernisation of the 130 km Maho – Omanthai line was signed by the government and Indian Railways subsidiary IRCON International. The 36-month project will raise the line speed from 60 km/h to 120 km/h and eliminate 40 km/h speed restrictions, while reducing maintenance costs. It includes works at 12 large and seven small stations, the repair or rebuilding of 218 culverts and 90 bridges, and upgrading of 78 level crossings.
Financing for this project is being provided by the Indian government. According to its High Commission in Colombo, India has so far committed lines of credit worth around US$ 1.3bn for railway development in Sri Lanka. Indian companies have upgraded 300 km of track and provided modern signalling and telecoms covering 330 km, and are supplying six DMUs, 10 locomotives, 20 container wagons, 30 fuel tank wagons and 160 coaches.
Earlier, in April, the 26·8 km Matara – Beliatta first phase of the Southern Railway project was officially opened. The US$278m cost of Phase 1 was financed through a 20-year loan agreed by Export-Import Bank of China and the Ministry of Transport in 2012. Construction was undertaken through a design and build contract, with China National Machinery Import & Export Corp as general contractor and design subcontracted to a consortium of Parsons Brinckerhoff and China Railway Fifth Survey & Design Institute.
The 1676 mm gauge single-track alignment is designed for diesel trains operating at speeds up to 120 km/h. There are seven passenger trains each way per day, serving major stations at Kakanadura, Bambarakanda, Wawurukannala and halts at Piladuwa and Weherahena.
Almost 10% of the line is elevated on 12 bridges, with the route including the two longest railway bridges in Sri Lanka at 1·5 km and 1·04 km, as well as a 615 m tunnel at Kekanadura which is also the longest in the country. There are 18 level crossings and 49 culverts.
In a separate development, the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development has commenced the construction work on the first phase of the Colombo Light Rail transit project, the first of its kind to be developed in Sri Lanka.
The Colombo Light Rail project is being built under a public-private partnership scheme. The total estimated cost of the light rail project is USD 2.2 billion and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed an agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka to grant assistance of USD 1,800 million as a soft loan.
Once the project is completed, passengers will have their traveling time considerably reduced, as they will be able to commute from Malabe to Fort/Pettah in just 35 minutes, which is less than half the time taken by road, and with trains being operated every four minutes during peak hours.
“We have now begun the first stage of the Malabe-Colombo Light Rail Transit system. According to the engineering plans, bore hole testing is currently being done on locations where pillars are being built. Five firms with expertise are currently testing 200 locations”, the Ministry said in a statement.
The light metro rail track will be built on concrete pillars erected in the middle of existing highways. The entire rail track and stations will be on elevated viaducts to minimize requirement of land acquisition, the statement said, adding that construction work of the proejct will be carried out with minimum disruption to the daily activities of the public.
According to the detailed project report, the first phase of the light rail transit system will connect Malabe to Colombo Fort, covering a distance of 17 km with 16 stations along the route. The stations names are – Fort/Pettah, Transport Centre, St. Joseph’s College, National Hospital, Borella, Cotta Road, Walikada, Rajagiriya, Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla, Palan Thuna, Robert Gunawardena Mawatha, Lumbini Temple, Thalahena, Malabe, IT Park. A yard for light rail maintenance and services will also be constructed near Chandrika Kumaratunga Mawatha in Malabe.
