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Cabinet approves proposal to get LRT project back on track

05 Jul, 2023

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The Cabinet has approved a proposal by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to get the Japanese funded Ligh Rail Transit (LRT) project back on track.

The project was scrapped by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

However, Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said that the Cabinet approved a resolution presented by the President to set a time-frame to negotiate with the Japanese Embassy in Colombo and enter into an agreement on the LRT project.

Rajapaksa had ordered the termination of the $1.5-billion light rail project, saying it is not a “cost-effective solution” for the congested capital Colombo.

The deal signed under the Maithripala Sirisena Government was the largest single foreign-funded infrastructure project in Sri Lanka, and was seen as a sign of the island nation reducing its dependence on China.

However, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had in 2020 told the then transport ministry to terminate this project and close the project office with immediate effect.

Japanese technology including rolling stock was to be used on the rail system, which included 16 stations over 15.7 kilometres (9.8 miles).

Detailed planning and land acquisition for the project in Colombo, which has some of the worst traffic congestion in South Asia, had already been completed and initial construction was under way. (Colombo Gazette)

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