Restoration work on Sri Lanka’s Northern Railway Line was formally launched on 11 January under a $5 million grant from the Government of India, reinforcing bilateral cooperation in post-disaster infrastructure rehabilitation and connectivity restoration.
The project was jointly inaugurated by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake, with Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, North Western Province Governor Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya, and Member of Parliament Geetha Herath also in attendance.
The initiative forms part of India’s wider $450 million reconstruction and rehabilitation package announced during the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Sri Lanka.
The Northern Railway Line sustained extensive damage during Cyclone Ditwah, resulting in major disruptions to rail connectivity across the Northern and North Central Provinces. Given the railway’s critical role in passenger movement, logistics, and essential services, the Government of India extended grant assistance for the urgent restoration of the line, which was originally constructed with Indian support.
Restoration work is being carried out by IRCON International Limited, an Indian public sector undertaking with extensive experience in railway construction and rehabilitation. The project covers three heavily affected sections: Maho–Omanthai, Omanthai–Jaffna, and Medawachchiya–Mannar.
The commencement of work within less than three weeks of the announcement of assistance underscores India’s emphasis on time-bound delivery of development cooperation. Authorities aim to restore regular train services to pre-Cyclone Ditwah frequencies within three months, by April 2026, ahead of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, with remaining works scheduled for completion by May 2026.
IRCON International Limited will also complete pending ancillary works on the Maho–Omanthai railway line under an existing Indian Line of Credit.
