Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka – On April 6, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Anuradhapura to inaugurate and launch two significant railway infrastructure projects, marking a milestone in the India-Sri Lanka development partnership. The event highlighted India’s ongoing commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s modernization efforts, particularly in enhancing its north-south rail connectivity, a critical artery for the island nation’s economic and social integration.
The centerpiece of the ceremony was the inauguration of the 128-kilometer Maho-Omanthai railway line, a vital stretch refurbished with Indian financial assistance amounting to USD 91.27 million. This project, which restores and upgrades a key segment of Sri Lanka’s rail network, promises to streamline the movement of passengers and freight across the country’s northern and central regions. Following this, the leaders jointly launched the construction of an advanced signaling system between Maho and Anuradhapura, funded by an Indian grant of USD 14.89 million. This signaling upgrade aims to enhance safety and efficiency, bringing modern technology to a historically significant rail corridor.
The Maho-Omanthai line, part of Sri Lanka’s broader railway system, connects the bustling town of Maho in the Kurunegala District to Omanthai in the Northern Province, an area that has long been a focal point for post-conflict reconstruction. The refurbishment addresses years of wear and damage, some lingering from the civil war era, and equips the line with updated tracks, bridges, and stations to meet contemporary demands. The signaling project, meanwhile, targets a 45-kilometer stretch between Maho and Anuradhapura—a city revered for its ancient heritage and strategic location—introducing automated systems to replace outdated manual operations, reducing delays and improving reliability.
These initiatives are poised to have a transformative impact on Sri Lanka’s transportation landscape. By facilitating faster and more efficient rail travel, they are expected to boost connectivity between the northern regions, including the Tamil-majority areas, and the southern economic hubs. This enhanced linkage is anticipated to spur trade, tourism, and daily commuting, while also supporting the transport of goods critical to Sri Lanka’s economy, such as agricultural produce and industrial materials. The projects align with Sri Lanka’s broader development goals, particularly in the north, where infrastructure improvements have been a priority since the end of the civil war in 2009.
The collaboration underscores the deepening ties between India and Sri Lanka under the framework of their development partnership. India’s contribution, totaling over USD 106 million for these two projects alone, reflects its role as a key regional partner committed to Sri Lanka’s progress. The financial assistance—comprising a mix of loans and grants—demonstrates a strategic investment in infrastructure that benefits both nations, given their shared economic and cultural connections across the Palk Strait.
For Modi, the visit to Anuradhapura was part of a broader engagement with Sri Lanka, a neighbor India has supported through various crises and developmental phases. The presence of President Dissanayake, who assumed office in September 2024 as the leader of the National People’s Power coalition, added a layer of diplomatic significance to the event. His participation signaled continuity in bilateral cooperation, despite recent political transitions in Colombo, and highlighted a mutual interest in leveraging infrastructure to drive growth.
The choice of Anuradhapura as the venue carried symbolic weight. As one of Sri Lanka’s ancient capitals and a UNESCO World Heritage site, it bridges the country’s rich past with its aspirations for a modern future. The rail projects, cutting through this historic region, embody that duality—restoring a lifeline from the colonial-era railway network while equipping it for 21st-century needs. The ceremony itself, held amidst the city’s sacred sites and stupas, blended official proceedings with a nod to cultural resonance, reinforcing the ties that bind India and Sri Lanka beyond mere economics.
The Maho-Omanthai refurbishment, executed with Indian expertise and funding, involved extensive work to rehabilitate tracks, strengthen bridges, and upgrade stations, ensuring the line can handle increased traffic and heavier loads. The signaling system, once completed, will introduce real-time train monitoring and automated controls, reducing human error and enhancing operational efficiency. Together, these upgrades are expected to cut travel times, improve service reliability, and support Sri Lanka’s ambition to modernize its aging rail infrastructure, much of which dates back to British colonial rule.
The projects also carry implications for regional connectivity. The northern rail network, of which Maho-Omanthai is a part, links to Jaffna and other key towns, areas that have historically lagged in development due to conflict and neglect. By bolstering this corridor, India’s assistance aids Sri Lanka’s efforts to integrate its northern province more fully into the national economy, fostering reconciliation and opportunity in a region still healing from decades of strife.
This is not India’s first foray into Sri Lanka’s rail sector. Previous initiatives, such as the restoration of the Northern Railway Line after the civil war and the supply of locomotives and coaches, have laid the groundwork for this latest collaboration. The Maho-Omanthai and Maho-Anuradhapura projects build on that legacy, reflecting a sustained commitment to enhancing Sri Lanka’s transport backbone. India’s involvement also aligns with its broader ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, which prioritizes development aid and infrastructure support to regional partners.
For Sri Lanka, grappling with economic challenges and a need for foreign investment, India’s assistance provides a timely boost. The rail upgrades promise not only immediate practical benefits—such as reduced travel costs and improved freight logistics—but also long-term gains in economic productivity and regional equity. The grant-based funding for the signaling system, in particular, eases the financial burden on Colombo, allowing resources to be allocated elsewhere as the country navigates its recovery.
The inauguration ceremony, held on April 6, was a concise yet impactful affair, with Modi and Dissanayake jointly unveiling plaques and witnessing the symbolic start of the signaling project’s construction. Their presence underscored the high-level political will driving this partnership, while the focus on tangible outcomes—kilometers of track and dollars invested—grounded the event in practical significance. As the leaders departed, the projects stood as a testament to what bilateral cooperation can achieve: a modernized railway poised to carry Sri Lanka forward, with India as a steadfast ally by its side.
