Monday, 16 September 2013 00:09
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The Chamber of Tourism and Industry Sri Lanka has welcomed the opening of the reconstructed stretch of the railway line from Omanthai- Kilinochchi, which was dedicated to the public by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday.
Chamber of Tourism and Industry President A.M. Jaufer said the opening of the rail line up to Kilinochchi is another milestone in the massive reconstruction and infrastructure development drive of the Government.
“Opening of the railway line is also testimony to the excellent relations that exist between the people of Sri Lanka and India,” Jaufer added.
He said the popular Yal Devi train service, which commenced operations six decades ago, was a bridge between the north and the south. The service catered to the people and facilitated the transport of goods to and from the northern areas until services were stopped nearly 25 years ago.
“The Chamber of Tourism hopes that the services will be extended to Jaffna and also to Pottuvil, Arugam Bay and Kataragama in the future, boosting passenger travel and transport of goods. Local and foreign tourists too will benefit from the railway services as it offers a relatively cheaper, faster and efficient service. The chamber expects that this initiative will be economically beneficial to the people of the country,” Jaufer added.
