General

Train services on the Colombo–Puttalam railway line have restarted this morning, December 16, after being halted due to damage from Cyclone Ditwah. The Railway Department announced yesterday, December 15, that the Puttalam line would fully reopen today, with trains running from Colombo Fort to Puttalam. The services were paused because of the cyclone's damage, but were gradually resumed to the Negombo, Kochchikade, Nattandiya, and Kudawa railway stations. On December 29, services reached the Chilaw Railway Station. The Puttalam railway line faced major disruptions due to serious damages, including the railway track being washed away near the Baththuluoya bridge between Chilaw and Puttalam stations, landslides on the tracks near Thillayadi sub-station, and several sections of the track being swept into the Deduru Oya near the Manuwangama sub-station, according to the Department of Railways. However, a staff train that was supposed to travel from Puttalam to Colombo Fort at 4:30 a.m. today ran without any passengers due to a technical issue, as reported by Ada Derana. Meanwhile, the train that left Colombo Fort at 4:00 a.m. today was the first to operate from Colombo to Puttalam since the cyclone, marking the official start of passenger services along the line.