Maradana Railway Station's first phase, renovated in 7 months, opened to the public (photos)

The first phase of the renovation work carried out at Maradana Railway Station has been successfully completed, in parallel with the 'Dream Destination' project to modernize one hundred railway stations, which is implemented under the 'Clean Sri Lanka' national program. Accordingly, these new facilities were opened for the public today (25) under the patronage of Mr. Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development.

This project is implemented with the combined contribution of the Sri Lanka Railway Department, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, NIO Engineering, civil organizations, and the private sector. A financial investment of approximately thirty-five million rupees has been made for the first phase of the Maradana Railway Station renovation, and the entire cost was borne by Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Ltd.

This railway station building, with a history of over a hundred years, had not undergone any repairs for several decades. Therefore, the renovation work here was carried out very systematically over a period of about six months under the full supervision of the Department of Archaeology. Specifically, a permanent solution was provided for the long-standing water leakage in the building, and the concrete roof of the upper floor, spanning over two thousand square feet, has been standardized as waterproof according to modern construction methods. In addition, the installation of security camera systems and electrical lighting systems, the establishment of sanitary facilities with modern equipment, painting the interior and exterior of the building, and environmental landscaping work have also been carried out under this first phase.

A large number of local and foreign passengers visit Maradana Railway Station daily to travel to all parts of the island. For this reason, the railway station is planned to be further modernized under several more phases. The Minister, who undertook an inspection tour of the areas improved under the first phase, also provided necessary instructions to the relevant authorities regarding the more systematic execution of future renovation work here.