The maiden journey of the Seethawaka Odyssey tourist train on the Kelaniveli route started today (15) morning.
It started from Fort railway station under the leadership of Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Transport, Highways, and Mass Media.
The aim of starting this new railway service is to develop Seethawaka town as a new tourist destination.
The project is implemented jointly by the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Mass Media, the Sri Lanka Railway Department, and the Western Province Tourism Board.
Earlier, even though a rail bus service between Kosgama and Maharagama was started and operated targeting the trading community on this route, it was also stopped even before the impact of the Covid epidemic.
It was started for the convenience of transportation of the small-scale trading community targeting the Pamunuwa, Maharagama. This rail bus service also provided immense service to the patients visiting the Homagama Base Hospital clinics.
As train running is minimal during office hours on the Kelaniveli route, the rail bus provided a great service to the people.
Often even the slow trains running on the Kelaniveli railway line do not stop at every station and the fact that the rail bus stops at every station between Kosgama and Maharagama was a great comfort to the community on that line.
Passengers allege that even slow trains running on this route do not stop at certain stations at the needs of some train drivers.
Bloody unwanted madness. 1st see to the needs of the locals and check the condition of the carriages, they are all in a dilapidated state. In the day of inauguration the railway goods will clean and use a good power set but on other days it will be a ramshackle one.