The Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development of Sri Lanka is already at an advanced stage on creating the blueprints of a proposed Light Railway System (LRS) project that will connect the city of Colombo with its densely populated suburbs, which is expected to begin construction by the end of this year.
The light railway line that will be built on an elevated rail track will stretch for 16 kilometres starting from the IT Park in Malabe and will connect four strategic corridors, including the city of Malabe, Battaramulla, Borella and the Fort/ Pettah railway station, helping to ease traffic congestion on the busy highways leading to Colombo.
The government hopes that this would contribute to lessening the alarming level of air pollution in the country’s commercial capital, by encouraging office workers to use this affordable light railway system for their daily commutes, in and out of Colombo.
The light railway line is also expected to reduce the current travel time between Malabe and Pettah, which takes around one and a half to two hours, to less than 30 minutes, after the LRS projects conclusion in 2024, according to the plan.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund the railway project, which is expected to cost roughly around US$ 1.7 Billion.
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Light Rail Project to Kick Off in December 2018
Image Source: dailymirror.lk
Image Source: dailymirror.lk