Development News from Sri Lanka: Modernization of the railway operations was recognized as the need for time to meet the growing demand of the railway industry. Railway Master Plan has therefore been prepared under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Technical Assistance.
Due to the prevailing high passenger demand and existing traffic congestion in Malabe, Horana and Awissawella corridors, the interest of all stakeholders was focused on the development of Kelani Valley Line. Accordingly, the Kelani Valley Line feasibility research was conducted under the ADB-funded Transport Project Preparatory Technical Assistance Loan and by studying different options, the development of elevated double track from Maradana to Malapalla (southern expressway interchange) was chosen as the best economic solution to support the planned urban development in the areas.
In view of that, an inspection visit by the higher officials of the Treasury-led is Director General of External Resources Department has been carried out to the proposed Kelani valley line development site, which will start implementation under ADB financing by the year 2021. During the visit, the officers were able to see the heavily encroached railway reservations in the project area by unauthorized settlers, which are about 4000 families and the progress of the proposed Resettlement Plan for them, entrusted by the United Nations Human Resettlement Program.
During the visit, the project officials explained the plans to elevate the railway section from Maradana to Malapalla, in order to evade the problem of around 54 level crossings and land acquisitions. Further, they demonstrated how the project has been planned to generate reasonable revenue through land value capturing and transit-oriented development using the space under the structure and railway land around the elevated construction.
The visit ended at the Makumbura Multi-Model Transport Hub which facilitates the Kelani Valley train passengers with a user-friendly convenient multi-model transport facilities.
