The Government is to launch two new rail-bus services between Gal Oya and Trincomalee, and Gal Oya and Batticaloa in the Eastern Province under the Negenahira Navodaya programme.

The rail-bus service between Gal Oya and Trincomalee will commence from the Gal Oya station once the Meenagaya train (Colombo-Batticaloa) arrives. The rail-bus from Gal Oya to Batticaloa will commence from the Gal Oya station once the Trincomalee night mail train (Colombo-Trincomalee) arrived, said Commercial Superintendent of Railway Vijaya Samarasinghe.

Three rail-bus services are operating from Batticaloa to Valachchenai, from Kurunegala-Anuradhapura, and from Polgahawela-Kurunegala, he added.

The Indian Government has provided 10 buses at a cost of SLR 44 million to Sri Lanka Railways and has made available an additional Rs.22 million to pay for the cost of conversion of these buses into rail-bus units. The buses are being converted to rail-buses in the Railway workshop at Ratmalana, Mr. Samarasinghe further said.

Meanwhile the Railway Department has taken action to start a daily railway service from Colombo to Nanu-Oya which has been limited only for weekends to facilitate Sri-Pada pilgrims. The service will start from today (Nov. 30) until January 1st, 2010.