Preparing Railway Sector Improvement Project

proposed

The proposed TA will provide continuous support to Sri Lanka's railway sector and augment ADB's ongoing loan Railway Efficiency Improvement Project and its attached TA. It will develop a staged investment road map to modernize and enhance the efficiency of the railway subsector of the Colombo suburban area, with particular focus on ADB's potential project lending pipeline. The TA will include preparatory consultancy activities for (i) rehabilitation projects and programs for railway infrastructure, (ii) rationalization of existing railway infrastructure and rolling stock fleet assets, (iii) operationalization of the central train control center in Sri Lanka Railways' (SLR) new operations headquarters and train control center (financed under the ongoing loan), and (iv) design of staged, long-term investment, and modernization programs. These interventions will increase rail traffic throughput , strengthen operational efficiency and safety, and enhance the overall attractiveness of the railway services along the Colombo suburban railway network. The TA will improve operational safety and public transport services along the main traffic corridor of the suburban rail network system, and contribute to improving the operational and financial performance, and sustainability of SLR. The TA will ensure that the environmental, social, and climate change considerations are fully integrated in preparatory work, consistent with ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) and in anticipation of the Environmental and Social Framework (2024).