The government plans to invest more than Rs 1,200 billion to electrify three of Sri Lanka’s main railway lines, with Rs 80 billion set aside for the first phase in 2027 alone.
The programme was announced by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the 2027 Budget speech delivered in Parliament on Thursday, Hiru News reported. The Daily Mirror’s sector-by-sector breakdown of the Budget lists the same figures, recording “suburban rail electrification, phase 1” at Rs 80 billion against a full programme estimated at over Rs 1,200 billion.
What the first phase covers
Three suburban stretches, all radiating from Maradana, are funded in 2027:
- Kelani Valley Line, Maradana to Homagama — Rs 45,000 million
- Coastal Line, Maradana to Panadura — Rs 17,700 million
- Main Line, Maradana to Ragama — Rs 16,400 million
A further Rs 900 million is allocated for land acquisition and other operational work associated with the project.
The three allocations plus the land provision total Rs 80,000 million, matching the headline phase-one figure.
Context
The President framed the investment as making rail-based passenger transport a government priority, and said the project is expected to give commuters a faster, more efficient and more comfortable service.
The Rs 2,000 billion in total public investment announced in the Budget — put at 5.12% of GDP — means this single phase accounts for roughly 4% of next year’s capital spending.
Not reported
Neither filing states how the balance of the programme beyond 2027 would be financed, over what period the remaining Rs 1,120 billion would be spent, or whether the electrification would be procured as a single contract. No implementing agency or foreign financing partner is named for the first phase.
