Sri Lanka plans to construct two new railway lines and revive a historic tourist route as part of a major initiative to modernise the country’s rail network and improve public transport.
At the launch of the “Dream Destination” project, Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake announced new lines from Kottawa to Avissawella and from Avissawella to Ratnapura.
He noted that traffic congestion causes an annual economic loss of 2–3% of GDP, and declining public transport usage has limited the effectiveness of road development projects.
The Ministry also aims to enhance cargo transport via rail and is considering the revival of the Nuwara Eliya–Nanu Oya line through public-private partnership, with further proposals expected in the national budget.
