New Delhi: With the help of a line of credit offered by India, Sri Lanka has launched a luxury train service that connects the country’s Tamil-dominated Jaffna district with the capital city Colombo.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka called it “another important milestone in India-Sri Lanka relations”.
The intercity rail service, launched on Sunday, will cover a distance of about 386 kilometres.
The train service crossing the island nation will cater to passengers from the Mount Lavinia suburb in Colombo to the Kankesanthurai port suburb in Jaffna.
“Moving the railway infrastructure!! The train service launched today for the Northern Province highlights 2 key pillars of India’s development partnership with Sri Lanka – infrastructure development and nationwide focus,” the Indian High Commission posted in a thread on Twitter.
Another important milestone in relations! Hon’ble Minister @pavithravaniya1 Inaugurated AC Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) supplied by @rightslimited Under an Indian credit line and started train service from Mount Lavinia to KKS. He rode the inauguration and was greeted(1/2) pic.twitter.com/F1TyCZzzyn
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) 9 January 2022
Under the loan facility, India provided AC Diesel Multiple Units (AC DMUs) for the train service.
Sri Lanka’s Transport Minister Pavitra Vanniarachi rode the inauguration.
He was received at Colombo Fort station by Vinod K Jacob, Deputy High Commissioner of India.
“Hon’ble Minister @pavithrawannia1 inaugurated AC Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) supplied by @RITESLimited under Indian Credit Line and launched train service from Mount Lavinia to KKS. He took the inaugural ride and was welcomed at #Colombo #Fort station by the Deputy High Commissioner,” the High Commission said in the thread, posting tweets in English, Sinhala and Tamil.
“This train service will facilitate people-to-people exchanges and emphasize mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries,” Jacob said.
The Transport Minister thanked India for its support.
The Indian High Commission also said that the supply of AC DMUs is one of the many railway projects undertaken by India in the island nation. Other ongoing projects include the supply of passenger coaches under another Indian line of credit.
In a statement issued by the mission, India’s total development portfolio in Sri Lanka is over USD 3.5 billion, of which about USD 570 million is just grant projects, as per a PTI report.
,