Upcountry railway line to be restored by September

Nuwara Eliya District Parliamentarian Manjula Suraweerarachchi says reconstruction work on the Upcountry railway line damaged by landslides caused by Cyclone Dittwa has commenced, with plans to complete the work by September.

Five locations near the Kotagala, Great Western, Nanu Oya, Parakumpura, and Ambewela railway stations along the Upcountry railway line were affected by landslides due to the cyclone.

According to the MP, restoration work at the landslide-hit areas near Kotagala, the 112.5-mile post between Kotagala and Talawakele, and the section between Nanu Oya and Ambewela has been handed over to the private sector.

He said the work is being carried out under the supervision of the Executive Engineer of the Railway Department.

Meanwhile, plans are underway to restore a 50-metre section affected by the landslide between Kotagala and Talawakele by reinforcing the area with rock filling and constructing protective retaining walls.

The MP also stated that a railway department service train and railway workers have been deployed for the reconstruction activities.