Station Masters’ Association alleges suspension of construction work on the Peradeniya railway bridge

2026-02-23 - 15:37

The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Association has alleged that reconstruction work on the Peradeniya railway bridge on the Up-Country railway line has currently been suspended. The Association states that there is, at present, no plan to commence repair work on the railway track between Rambukkana and Kadugannawa. Issuing a media release, the Association said that although the Government had initially proposed constructing a new double bridge to reconstruct the Peradeniya railway bridge on the Up-Country line, which was damaged by a landslide, plans were later drawn up to rehabilitate the old bridge instead. They further noted that the Government had announced that train services to Kandy would resume in April 2026. However, the Association explained that although the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB) became involved in the rehabilitation work following Government intervention, and certain work had been carried out, the Railway Engineering Technical Committee had determined that the work completed did not meet the required technical standards. As a result, reconstruction work on the Peradeniya railway bridge has now been halted. Accordingly, it has been proposed by the Railway Department to call for a fresh report on the future course of action regarding the bridge. The Association also pointed out in its statement that certain actions of the current General Manager of Railways have contributed to the emergence of these issues. They allege that the problematic situation has arisen due to the appointment of an officer from the Sri Lanka Administrative Service to