The railway has been the primary connection of the northern part of the country to the south. The distance by road to Colombo from Jaffna was 403 km while by rail it was 394 km.
Before the conflict there were 8 passenger trains and six goods trains operating between Colombo and Jaffna daily. There was also a weekend passenger train with an Intercity Train also operating for a few years. An estimated 6,000 people travelled between the Jaffna District and destinations in the south by the early 1980s. Besides the railway, there were also around 20 bus trips that operated on the main A9 Road which ran parallel to the railway all the way to Anuradhapura. Jaffna was one destination that the railway till 1980s held the higher share of the market as it had a much shorter travel time than road transport.
Before the conflict the railway also supported many industries in Jaffna District. The KKS Cement factory, the Elephant Pass saltern were two leading industries in the country during that time. The agricultural produce in Jaffna District as well as the fish production from Mannar and Mullaitivu Districts were often transported to Colombo by Railways as well as trucks. There were also two seaports at KKS and Point Pedro as well as a domestic airport at Palali.
There are 16 stations between Vavuniya and KKS and a further 12 sub-stations. Some of the stations are crossing stations since the track is single line all the way.
Progress
The GoSL expects to make this a flagship project for rebuilding the country through rebuilding the vital Yal Devi Friendship Railway Track by making early plans for immediate construction to follow securing the northern areas. Project has commenced on the 23rd March from Vavuniya.
