June 18, Colombo: Sri Lanka Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa has ordered the officials to accelerate the preparatory work to build the railway line from Kurunegala to Habarana.

The proposed 81-km railway line will run across the commercial towns of Dambulla and Sigiriya in the North Central Province. Both places are tourist hot spots too where world heritage sites are situated.

According to Sri Lanka Railways, a track with a design speed of 120km/h will be constructed and the feasibility study has been completed. The project envisages the feasibility of the proposed railway trace in terms of engineering, economy, environmental and social aspects.

The Minister at a meeting in the Ibbagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha instructed the officials to accelerate the development plans.

The Minister urged the officials to complete the surveys regarding the railway line by September this year and finish at least half of the constructions by the end of the year.

The railway line is expected to bypass the present diversion of the Eastern railway to Trincomalee and Batticaloa at Maho junction and cut short the journey.