Heavy rainfall on Wednesday forced transport disruptions on Sri Lanka’s western corridor, with the Railway Department curtailing Puttalam line services at Chilaw and the Road Development Authority closing one entry to the Southern Expressway.
The Railway Department said several sections of track near Thilladi had been submerged by floodwaters, prompting it to suspend services beyond Chilaw for Wednesday and Thursday (May 14). The Puttalam office train and all other scheduled services will run only between Colombo Fort and Chilaw on May 13, while morning departures on May 14 will originate at Chilaw station. Updates on operations between Chilaw and Puttalam will depend on weather and track conditions, the department said.
Separately, the Road Development Authority (RDA) said the entry to the Southern Expressway towards Colombo at the Welipenna Interchange had been inundated by heavy rainfall, with light vehicles unable to access the expressway from that point. The closure affects the southern leg of the country’s busiest expressway corridor.
The disruptions come as the Department of Meteorology and Disaster Management Centre maintain red and amber rain warnings covering the Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Falling totals of more than 200 mm in 24 hours have been recorded in Kesbewa and Veyangoda, while the Irrigation Department on Tuesday reported 33 major reservoirs spilling as the south-west monsoon settles in earlier than usual.
Authorities have advised commuters on routes through Puttalam, Negombo, the Kalu and Gin river basins and the southern expressway corridor to anticipate delays and to monitor official advisories before travel.
Sri Lanka Railways confirmed late on Thursday that train services along the Puttalam line had been fully restored to normal operations after the floodwaters receded around Thilladi.
