Dodanduwa passengers face severe hardships
A large number of passengers including the Buddhist monks of the Polgasduwa International Monastery, the devotees visiting the monastery and the foreign tourists are facing hardships due to the dilapidated state of the Dodanduwa railway station.
Polgasduwa International Buddhist Monastery and the Hikkaduwa tourist area are in close proximity to Dodanduwa railway station. The 115 year old railway station on the Southern coastal line has been in a state of disrepair for a long time. Built in 1894 by the then Governor of Ceylon Sir Arthur Havelock, Dodanduwa railway station has not been improved to meet the requirements of the increasing number of passengers.
The passengers are facing hardships when they board a train on rainy days for want of a roof for the platform. A large area of the platform is covered with shrub jungle and the land belonging to the railway station and the railway reservation are occupied by squatters. The employees of the railway station pointed out that repairs and maintenance of the main building of the railway station and the quarters of the employees had been neglected for several years. The residents of the area have requested the authorities to improve the Dodanduwa railway station and to upgrade it as an express halt.
Source: Dailymirror
