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Temporary bridge put up on main railway line to resume trains 

15 Nov 2021

By Buddhika Samaraweera  The Railways Department has taken steps to construct a temporary bridge on the main railway line between the Mirigama and Wijayarajadahana Railway Stations, which were disrupted due to a sinkhole that  where a sinkhole has emerged due to the recent heavy rains. Railways Department General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara told The Morning that with the renovation work, it was possible to run a few trains on the main line by yesterday (15) evening, given the fact that the said railway line is a double-track one. He further said that as the train service was disrupted due to the sinking, three trains operated up to the point where the sinking took place, and from there, three more trains were used to transport passengers to Colombo Fort from yesterday morning onwards. Due to the damages caused to railway lines in many areas, given the adverse weather conditions prevailing these days, the operation of trains on the main line, the upcountry line, and the Puttalam line has been disrupted.  A section of the Puttalam railway line near the Bangadeniya Railway Station had been washed away due to the floods in the recent days. Similarly, due to a landslide on the upcountry railway line between the Rambukkana and Kadigamuwa Railway Stations, train services on the upcountry line have been restricted to the Rambukkana Railway Station.  Meanwhile, Kegalle District Secretary Mahinda S. Weerasuriya yesterday said that the stretch of road at Pahala Kadugannawa on the Colombo-Kandy Main Road, which was closed on 10 November due to the risk of landslides will remain closed until further notice. Sabaragamuwa Provincial Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Weerasuriya, and officials of the Road Development Authority (RDA) inspected the Kadugannawa area on the Colombo-Kandy Main Road yesterday morning. Speaking to the media, Weerasuriya said: “Officials of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and the professors of the Peradeniya University informed us that the risky situation has not yet gone away. Therefore, the decision to reopen the road will be taken in the future. For now, the road will be closed until that decision is taken.”


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