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Sri Lanka

Train service to Pallai starts tomorrow

The reconstruction of the Northern railway track from Kilinochchi to Pallai has been completed and it will become operational from tomorrow.

The General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways B A P Ariyaratne said that the Transport Minister Kumara Welgama will open the Kilinochchi to Pallai train service tomorrow with the departure of a new air-conditioned luxury train from the Colombo Fort Station.

The train will depart Colombo Fort railway station at 2.25 pm and reach Pallai at 8.28 pm.

The public service to Pallai on the luxury train will begin operation from Friday, March 07. The air conditioned trains with 222 seats have been imported from China.

Ariyaratne said that the train will leave Colombo Fort in the evening and will start its return journey from Pallai on the following day morning. In addition, the operations of Yal Devi train, Matara-Vavuniya train and the night mail train will also be extended to Pallai.

Sri Lanka's Northern Line from Vavuniya to Kankesanthurai in the northernmost tip of the island was completely destroyed by the Tamil Tiger terrorists during the three-decade long war. The rebels uprooted the rail tracks to build reinforced underground bunkers. (niz)