Sri Lanka Railways Forum

The Sri Lanka Railway Department is to introduce four new Intercity Express train services from Colombo Fort to Trincomalee, Batticoloa and Badulla from the 1st of January 2009. These new Intercity Express train services will address the long felt needs of the people of Trincomalee, Batticoloa and Badulla.

The new Trincomalee Intercity Express train will leave Colombo Fort before the 05.45 Yazh Devi express to Vavuniya, and reach Trincomalee around 12.00. The same Intercity Express will commence its return journey at 01.00 PM from Trincomalee and reach Colombo Fort on the very same day at around 07.30 PM.

The Railway Department eventually plans to employ an interconnecting Intercity Express service to Batticoloa that will interconnect with the Trincomalee Intercity Express. But meanwhile the department has made arrangements so that people travelling from Batticoloa will be able to change over to the new Trincomalee Intercity Express at Gal Oya by travelling on the 11.30 local Train (No 891) which plies between Batticoloa and Maho.

The Railway Department has plans to extend the newly commenced Colombo Fort – Nanu Oya Intercity Express service to Badulla by employing a connecting Train from Nanu Oya to Badulla. The return train from Badulla is set to depart from Badulla at 9.00 AM and reach Nanu Oya in time so that passengers can change over to the Nanu Oya – Colombo Fort Intercity Express that departs at 03.15 PM. With the implementation of this new service, passengers will be able to travel to Badulla in just eight hours, which is a drastic reduction from the present 11 hours that takes to travel by Podi Menike.

Thereafter the Udarata Menike express train that presently departs from Colombo Fort at 09.45 AM will commence its journey earlier at 05.55 AM. The department has further plans to extend the 10.35 Colombo Fort – Kandy / Matale train to Haputale by adding an extra carraige. These new additions will ensure the people of these areas enjoy a quality train service.

The Railway Department is also investigating the possibility of introducing Intercity Express train services to Puttalam and Avissawella from Colombo Fort.

Source: Translated & Edited From Silumina by Sri Lanka Railways Forum

Tags: badulla, batticaloa, colombo, drastic reduction, express train, express trains, implementation, intercity express, interconnecting train, local train, maho, nanu oya, passengers, podi menike, puttalam, railway department, train service, train services, trincomalee, vavuniya, yazh devi

                            

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