Jaffna – Kankesanthurai Railway Line Opening

President Mahinda Rajapaksha is going to open up the Jaffna – Kankesanthurai section on 2nd of January through inaugurating the northern bound “Yal Devi” train to Kankesanthurai.

Presently, trains travel from Colombo to Jaffna. It will certainly be expanded to get to the Kankesanthurai Railway Station from 2nd January. The popular north bound “Yal Devi” train will depart for Kankesanthurai connecting the North and South by railroad for the 1st time in twenty five years.

The eighteen kilometers long Jaffna-Kankesanthurai railway line plus the novel signaling & telecommunication technique was reconstructed by ‘IRCON International LTD’ within a cost of US$ 40 million underneath a concessionary credit line of around US$ 800 million supplied by the Indian government for the Northern Railway Reconstruction Work.

There are 3 major stations in Jaffna, Chunnakam and Kankesanthurai and 6 different sub stations in Kokuvil, Kondavil, Inuvil, Chunnakam, Mallakam, Tellippalai and Maviddapuram situated on the section from Jaffna to Kankesanthurai.The reconstructed railway line has been developed with a speed limit of 120kmph. Rail joints are reduced utilizing the newest advanced welding technology.

Prepossessed concrete sleepers have been used to lay the rails, as an alternative for the typical wooden sleepers. This guarantee long lasting and tougher tracks, concurrently helping to conserve the ecosystem.

CMS(Cast Manganese Steel) crossings along with typical turnouts, lengthy welded rails with switch expansion joints, panel interlocking and flash butt welding have been integrated to supply a sustainable line, with minimum servicing work.

The Pallai-Jaffna segment was also commissioned on 13th October. The building of the Northern railway tracks symbolizes a landmark in the historical relationship among India and Sri Lanka.