Asian Development Bank (ADB) has stepped in to assist the electrification and double tracking of the Kelani Valley Line in 2020. In addition, ADB will assist in developing Main Line and Coastal Line too.

ADB, through its Transport Project Preparatory Technical Assistance extended a grant for consultancy for development of Enterprise Resource Planning System for Sri Lanka Railways and to implement an Enterprise resource planning (ERP) pilot project covering a selected section of Sri Lanka Railways.

This consultancy consisting of International and National Consultants will be mobilised in the next few months.

Sri Widowathi, Sri Lanka’s Resident Mission Director of the ADB said that they will present a portfolio on August this year on the Kelani Valley railway network.

The Kelani Valley Line serves a densely urbanized area in southeast Colombo and is currently a single-track railway line with few passing loops and frequent level crossings.

Construction of an elevated dual track on a viaduct structure is proposed as part of the Kelani Valley Railway Improvement Program Phase 1.

The proposed elevated section of the Kelani Valley Line is approximately 20.8 kilometres long and runs between Maradana and Malapalla.

By considering the development concept, Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation intends to engage a firm of international and national consultants (the Consultant) to study land value capture (LVC) and transit-oriented development (TOD) opportunities along the Kelani Valley Line.

The Consultant will identify and develop urban development and land value capture opportunities and recommendations for the proposed elevated section of the Kelani Valley Line.

The development involves Land Acquisition and Relocation of Project Affected People. The Kelani Velley Line corridor is heavily encroached and the availability of Right of Way is limited to 10 to 12 meters.