The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Services has said that the 36 kilometer extension of southern coastal rail line from Matara to Beliatta will be completed and declared open before the end of this year.
The first phase of the rail track from Matara to Kataragama which is the track from Matara to Beliatta, is scheduled to be vested with the public.
The second phase of the project is the 48 kilometer segment from Beliatta to Hambantota and the in the third phase the track will be extended another 39 kilometers from Hambantota to Kataragama.
Main stations have been planned at Kekunadura, Bambarenda, Wevurukannala and Beliatta. Two sub stations will be setup at Piladuwa and Veherahena.
A flyover of one kilometer will be built from Matara to Kekunadura. Sri Lanka’s longest rail tunnel will be built on this line at Naakuttigama. It will be 615 meters long. Another tunnel with a length of 268 meters will be built at Bambarenda on this rail track.
The main railway station at Beliatta has a length of 300 meters and it will have three platforms.Underground tunnels will be made for the passengers to move across the platforms of the station. Plans have been drawn up to construct underground tunnels at the four main railway stations.
The railway track will be built across the Nilwala River. Therefore a bridge with a length of 1037 meters will be built across the Nilwala River.
