Ircon conducts successful trial run of rail track up to Killinochchi
Tuesday, 3 September 2013 00:00
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A trial run was conducted on the completed new railway track between Omanthai and Killinochchi covering a distance of 63 kms.
In town to personally overlook the final run was Mohan Tiwari, Chairman and Managing Director of Ircon International Ltd.
CECB Team Leader Padamsiri and General Manager of Ircon International Ltd. S.L. Gupta, along with other officers from Sri Lanka Railway, CECB and IRCON, undertook the trial run.
The trial run was started from Omanthai station and completed at the newly constructed Killinochchi Station. The officials who went on the trial run said it was successful with comfortable riding quality. The train took 40 minutes to complete 63 kilometres of track from Omanthai to Kilinochchi with a maximum speed of 115 Kmph, for the first time in Sri Lanka.
The reconstructed track is a 63 km long segment in the prestigious Northern Railway Line project of 252 km route length, which is being executed by Ircon International Ltd., a government company under the Ministry of Railways India. The project is funded by the Government of India under the Indian Lines of Credit. The segment that was tested run was completed well within the scheduled completion date. It is also learnt that the track segment between Omanthai and Killinochchi would be dedicated to the nation by the President of Sri Lanka by the middle of September this year in a function at Killinochchi.
The railway tracks from Omanthai to Kankesanthurai and Medawachchiya to Talaimannar were completely destroyed during the devastating civil war. The Government of India has extended its support to the Government of Sri Lanka to rebuild the 252 km route length track along with signalling and telecommunication work under the Indian lines of credit. India has always been assisting Sri Lanka in its all round economic development. The reconstructed railway track is designed with a speed potential of 120 kmph. Rail joints are minimised using modern welding technology. Pre-stressed concrete sleepers have been used to lay the track, instead of traditional wooden sleepers to ensure a durable and stronger track. CMS (Cast Manganese Steel) crossings with standard turnouts, long welded rails with switch expansion joints, panel interlocking, flash butt welding, etc. have been incorporated to provide a long lasting track, with minimal maintenance effort. For execution of the project, local manpower and agencies have been deployed to generate local employment as well as skills development. The project is scheduled to be completed in phases and all phases are progressing well within the stipulated timelines.
