• Climate-resilient repairs being undertaken

The Nanu Oya to Ambewela railway line is set to resume operations following extensive repairs necessitated by the severe weather conditions brought about by Cyclone Ditwah, according to National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) Director General Dr. Asiri Karunawardena.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Dr. Karunawardena said that the repaired railway track was designed to be disaster resilient. 

“We have designed the railway track in such a way as to withstand future rainfall events and potential landslides. It is a permanent solution,” he said.

“The newly-laid tracks have been engineered in a highly climate-resilient manner. We have completed all necessary investigations and subsequently carried out the appropriate structural design. 

“Based on these precise designs, the restoration work has been executed by a qualified contractor strictly under our direct supervision. As a result of this comprehensive effort, Sri Lanka Railways is now able to lay the track again, and train services from Badulla to Nanu Oya will effectively continue,” he added.

While the Ambewela section is complete, several other railway locations remain under construction. 

“Areas spanning from Kotagala to Talawakelle, Rambukkana to Kandy, Kadugannawa, Nawalapitiya, and Gampola were severely affected and washed out by the recent cyclone. We have already completed the required designing for these unstable locations, and the construction process is currently ongoing,” Dr. Karunawardena added.

Sri Lanka Railways Superintendent of Train Operations and Spokesperson Asanka Samarasinghe, confirming the resumption of train services and the department’s close coordination with geological experts, said: “We are operating entirely based on the official reports provided by the NBRO. While it is scientifically impossible to provide an absolute guarantee that natural disasters will never occur again, the experts have assured us that the track is currently safe and stable. Following their clearance, our civil engineers have also evaluated the conditions and given the final approval for trains to run.”

The recently repaired sections have seen significant structural improvements compared to their previous state. “The authorities have implemented major remedial measures and repaired the vulnerable areas to a much higher standard than before. The track is perfectly fine for the current environmental situation and can easily withstand standard rainfall. Essentially, the location has been secured against further sliding under foreseeable weather conditions,” Samarasinghe noted.

Despite the progress made on the Nanu Oya line, Sri Lanka Railways faces significant logistical hurdles in completing the remaining restorations, particularly the stretch between Kotagala and Talawakelle. 

“There are about two major locations in that section that require extensive repairs. The primary challenge we face is the complete lack of a dedicated supply route. We are forced to transport all heavy machinery, construction materials, and personnel via the main public road. Due to these logistical difficulties, we cannot provide a strict timeline for completion, but our ultimate target is to finish the work within this year,” he explained.

Train services from Nawalapitiya to Kotagala are currently operational, and the department aims to finish the remaining track to Badulla soon. “Passengers travelling beyond Nanu Oya will have to proceed by bus on their own accord. Sri Lanka Railways does not provide any substitute transport facilities or additional assistance for this leg of the journey,” Samarasinghe stated.

“Even before the recent storms hit, an official project was actively underway under the supervision of the NBRO to identify and fortify vulnerable areas along the upcountry railway line, and to set up early warning systems. It was exactly during this preventative phase that the severe weather occurred. That project is also now complete, so our immediate focus has shifted to completing the repairs between Talawakelle and Kotagala,” Samarasinghe said.

The total financial damage caused by the adverse weather to the railway network is yet to be publicly quantified, with officials still consolidating the final figures, according to Samarasinghe.