Talaimannar
| Talaimannar தலைமன்னார் තලෙයිමන්නාරම | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
  Talaimannar | |
| Coordinates: 9°06′0″N 79°43′0″E / 9.10000°N 79.71667°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Northern |
| District | Mannar |
| DS Division | Mannar |
Talaimannar (Tamil: தலைமன்னார்; Sinhalese: තලෙයිමන්නාරම) is a settlement in Sri Lanka located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island.
Transport
Prior to the severe destructions by a cyclone in December 1964, it was the terminus of a ferry service to India across the very shallow Palk Bay. The ferry service was part of the Indo-Lanka Railway service, where passengers were ferried between Talaimannar and Dhanushkodi on Rameswaram island in India. The pier was served by a station of the Sri Lanka Government Railway. The train services are currently discontinued and the track abandoned up to Medawachchiya junction. Presently, work is being done to resume the service by rebuilding the rail line from Talaimannar to Medawachchiya.[1]
The town can be reached by a road from Mannar which links the island to the rest of the country through a causeway. On May 2015 The reconstruction of the rail track has been completed in 10 steps by conducting survey work, clearing the land, completing the earth work for the track, laying of ABC, installing ballasting, spreading sleepers, placing of rails and track linking, connecting the rails using flash bud welding, final balasting over the newly laid track and tamping.
According to IRCON International Limited by using the modern technology in restoring the rail track, they have improved the speed of the track up to 120 kilometres per hour, and has improved the riding comfort by laying long welded rails.
The maintenance cost of the railway track has also be reduced by using the modern technology in the construction of the rail track.
There are 11 railway stations including Neriyakulam, Chettikulam, Madu Road, Murunkan, Mathottam, Thirukeshwaram, Mannar, Thondawil, Pesalai, Talaimannar and Talaimannar Pier along the Talaimannar line from Medawachchiya.
The IRCON International Ltd has also ensured the safety and reliability through the installation of modern signalling and telecommunication system.
They have transferred the latest technology on railway construction to the Railway Department and also has generated direct and indirect employment for the locals throughout the implementation of the project.
According to Railway Department officials, most of the rails and sleepers have been imported from India to facilitate the project. They have been designed under Indian railway standards which are very similar to Sri Lanka standards.
Three major bridges have been constructed to facilitate the project and there will be a 100-foot three span bridge, and a 100-foot two span bridge.
The Talaimannar pier is 960 feet in length. Five crossing stations and three sub-stations will be set up between Madhu Road and Talaimannar.
The five main stations will be Murunkan, Mannar, Pesalai, Talaimannar and the Taliamannar Pier. The other three halts are located at Manthottam, Thiruketheeswaram and Thoddaweli.
Although the track has a design speed of 120 kilometres per hour, normally a train can run at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour.
Therefore, the rail track will facilitate to reach Talaimannar within one and half hours from Medawachchiya. It will also provide close links with major economic hubs such as Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Colombo, Galle and Matara.
Since the completion of the Medawachchiya - Talaimannar rail track, the Talaimannar pier will pave the way for the shortest link between India and Sri Lanka. It will provide an opportunity to restart the ferry service between Talaimannar and Rameswaram which had to halted in 1984.
Discussions are going on between the two countries to restart the ferry service with the resumption of the train service to Taliamannar.
Restoration According to economic specialists the restoration of the Talimannar line will create closer links between India and Sri Lanka with the possibility of restarting the ferry service between India and Sri Lanka, further boosting economic and social links between the two countries.
Since the restoration of the rail track to Taliamannar, links will be created with major economic hubs in the South, enabling the traders in the south to transport goods to and from Mannar making Mannar, another bustling economic hub in the country.
Therefore, there is potential for the Mannar town to be developed as a modern commercial hub in Sri Lanka with close international links across the sea while giving major push for Sri Lanka and India to strengthening the relationship over the issues over the Palk Strait.
"This is very good for Sri Lanka and India, and it will be a good opportunity for tourism as well. The Northern people will find that it is the shortest and the cheapest way of travelling to India and engage in trade between the two countries", he said.
Border to India
Talaimannar is about 18 miles East of Dhanushkodi. The Ram Sethu (Adam's Bridge), a chain of sand shoals between Talaimannar and Danushkodi, has the only land border between India and Sri Lanka, which is the smallest in the world, being just 50 yards in length on a sand dune. The dune is approximately 100 feet high and 2 feet wide.
See also
References
- ↑ "Lanka Business Online". Sri Lanka gives northern rail rebuilding deal to India’s IRCON. 2010-08-18.
External links
Coordinates: 09°06′00″N 79°43′00″E / 9.10000°N 79.71667°E