Jaffna (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After 24 years the Yal Devi,
one of the most famous railways in Sri Lanka which joins the north to the south
of the country has reopened. Interrupted during the Civil War, this part of the
service was a vital link between Jaffna and Colombo, transporting goods and people
from the far north of the country to the capital.
During the conflict, the army began to use the line to enter the northern enclave
of the Tamil Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE). Soon, this became
the target of attacks by rebels, and in 1990 the government decided to close
it. Until now, the service has remained limited between Jaffna and Vavuniya, also
in the north.
In 2009, at the end of the civil war, the government promised to rebuild the
rail line - known as the "Queen of Jaffna" - and restore services. Repair
work has cost 58 billion rupees (350.8 million euro), most of which is financed
by India. The Colombo-Jaffna line can now take trains with a transit speed of
120 kilometers per hour.