Puttalam Line
Puttalam Line | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Type | Intercity rail |
System | Sri Lanka Railways |
Termini |
Ragama Railway Station Puttalam |
Operation | |
Opened | 12 May 1926[1] |
Owner | Sri Lanka Railways |
Operator(s) | Sri Lanka Railways |
Technical | |
Line length | 83 mi (134 km) |
Track gauge | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) |
Electrification | No |
The Puttalam Line is a 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge[2] railway line in the rail network of Sri Lanka. The line begins at Ragama and runs through the major towns in the western boundary of the country.
Route definition
This Line starts from Ragama and runs through the major towns of Kandana, Ja-Ela, Katunayake, Negombo, Chilaw and ends at Puttalam.[3]
The passenger trains by Sri Lanka Railways are operated up to Noor Nagar station beyond the Puttalam station and railway section beyond Noor Nagar station is used by Holcim Sri Lanka Limited for the transportation of raw materials from quarry to the factory at Puttalam.
This line is also used for the transportation of oil by trains to the Katunayake Airport.[1]
History
- 03 July 1907 – Laying of railway line up to Negombo was started by Sir Henry Arthur Blake, governor of Ceylon.
- 09 November 1908 – Commencement of passenger operations up to Ja-Ela.
- 01 December 1909 – Commencement of passenger operations up to Negombo.
- 12 May 1926 – Line was completed up to Puttalam.
Operations
This line is served by passenger and freight trains of Sri Lanka Railways. Railway line beyond Noor Nagar is used specially for the use of the cement factory. Regular services run on diesel power.
References
- 1 2 Malshani Gunawardane (December 2012). "රාගම-පුත්තලම දුම් රිය මාර්ගය ආශ්රිත කාර්මික පුරාවිද්යා වැදගත්කම". Lanka Railway Digest (in Sinhala). Sri Lanka. 1 (3): 22–24. ISSN 2279-1213. zero width joiner character in
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at position 33 (help) - ↑ "The Island". Rampala regime in the local Railway History. 2010-07-19.
- ↑ Rail 2000. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Railway.