Upcountry Railway Repairs Unlikely to Be Completed in Two Months

 Deputy Minister of Transport, Dr. Prasanna Gunaseena, states that it will take more than two months to restore the Upcountry railway line, which was severely damaged due to the flood disaster.

He also points out that the Peradeniya railway bridge has suffered extensive damage due to the flood situation, and its repair is a major challenge currently facing the authorities.

To assess the bridge's reconstruction efforts, the General Manager of Railways and a team of engineers have conducted an inspection tour in the Peradeniya area. As a first step, measures have been taken to remove debris trapped within the bridge with the assistance of the Navy.

Since about eight trains are stranded in the upper railway stations along the Upcountry line,

it has become essential to promptly repair the track to bring them back down.

The Deputy Minister further emphasized that taking on this challenge, the primary objective of his ministry is to swiftly repair the railway section from Rambukkana to Kandy.

Meanwhile, it is also reported that a large number of Railway Department employees and their family members have been affected by this flood disaster, leading to practical issues in deploying workers for road and bridge repair work.