Mannar Line

Mannar Line
Overview
Type	Regional rail
System	Sri Lanka Railways
Status	Functioning up to Madhu Road
Termini	Medawachchiya Junction Talaimannar
Stations	11
Operation
Opening	1914
Reopened	14th May 2013
Owner	Sri Lanka Railways
Operator(s)	Sri Lanka Railways
Technical
Line length	106 km (66 mi)
No. of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	No
Route map Mannar Line Legend Talaimannar Mannar Gulf of Mannar Murunkan Madhu Road Cheddikulam Neriyakulam Northern Line to Kankesanthurai Medawachchiya Junction Northern Line to Colombo Fort

The Mannar Line is a railway line in Sri Lanka. Branching off the Northern Line at Medawachchiya Junction, the line heads north-west through North Central and Northern provinces before terminating at the town of Talaimannar. The line is 106 kilometres (66 mi) long and has 11 stations.^[1] The line opened in 1914.^[2]

History

International goal

The Mannar Line was built as part of a plan to create a rail link between Sri Lanka and India. A 22-mile bridge to link the two countries had been proposed as early as 1894, by the Consultant Engineer for railways in Madras (Chennai). The proposal was given serious consideration and a technical blueprint and cost analysis was conducted. By 1914, the Mannar line was built to connect Talaimannar on Mannar Island to the Sri Lankan mainland. On the Indian side, the Indian railway network was extended to Dhanushkodi. The international bridge to link the two was not built.^[3]

Operation

During the Mannar Line's operation, trains connected Mannar and Talaimannar with cities along the Northern Line, such as Anuradhapura and Kurunegala, eventually reaching Colombo. The Boat Mail was a major service on the line, allowing passengers to board a ferry to Rameshwaram in India. Passengers could use the Boat Mail service to travel between Colombo and Chennai.

The ferry service to connect the railheads at Talaimannar and Dhanushkodi lasted until the 1960s, when a cyclone destroyed the pier and rail line at Dhanushkodi. The Mannar Line was not affected. The ferry service resumed with a new Indian terminus at Rameshwaram.^[3]

War and revival

All services on the line were stopped in June 1990 due to the civil war.^[4] The tracks, stations and other infrastructure on the line were subsequently destroyed during the war.

In the 2000s, the rail bridge to connect the two countries was proposed again, highlighting the benefits of connecting the ports of Colombo and Trincomalee with Chennai.^[3]

Following the end of the civil war in May 2009, the government initiated various projects to rebuild the entire line. The contract to reconstruct the 44 kilometres (27 mi) line between Medawachchiya Junction and Madhu was awarded to IRCON International, the Indian state-owned engineering and construction company.^[5][6] The project will cost US$ 81 million and would be financed by a soft loan from the Indian government.^[7] IRCON has also been awarded the contract to reconstruct the 65 kilometres (40 mi) line between Madhu and Talaimannar.^[5][6] The project will cost US$ 150 million and would be financed by a soft loan from the Indian government.^[7]

The section of the line between Medawachchiya and Madhu Road reopened on 14 May 2013, following its reconstruction.^[8] The reconstruction of the entire line is expected to be completed by 2013.^[9][10]

Services

Railbus services operate from Medawachchiya Junction to Madhu Road,^[11] while daily trains operate between Madhu Road and Colombo Fort.^[12]

When construction is completed, train services will connect Mannar with major Sri Lankan cities. With the launch of ferry services between Talaimannar and Rameshwaram, the rail line would be used by travelers to connect the international ferry service with Sri Lankan cities.

Infrastructure

The Mannar Line is entirely single track, at 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge,^[13] both before the war and after reconstruction. The line was not electrified and the current reconstruction project will not include electrification.

References

Northern Province, Sri Lanka topics History Jaffna kingdom Vannimai Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism Militancy Tamil Eelam Burning of Jaffna library Civil War Geography Cities Divisional Secretariats Jaffna Peninsula National Parks Natural History Provincial parks Rivers Towns Vanni Districts Jaffna District Kilinochchi District Mannar District Mullaitivu District Vavuniya District Politics Chief Minister Government of the Northern Province Governor Jaffna Electoral District Northern Provincial Council Vanni Electoral District Economy Agriculture Buildings and Structures Tourism Transportation Airports Iranamadu Airport Jaffna Airport Vavuniya Airport Highways A9 A14 A29 A30 A32 A34 A35 Railways Mannar Line Northern Line Yal Devi Society Culture Architecture Art Cinema (Sri Lankan Tamil cinema) Education Literature Music Sport Dance Cuisine Festivals Demographics Demographic history Language demographics Education List of schools University of Jaffna Healthcare List of hospitals Jaffna Teaching Hospital Religion Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna Roman Catholic Diocese of Mannar Symbols Flag Motto Coat of arms Category

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