Sri Lanka Railways has announced the commencement of the train service between Colombo Fort and Talaimannar, starting today (24).

Train No. 5003 will depart Colombo Fort at 3:50 pm daily and reach Talaimannar at 10:28 pm, while Train No. 5004 will begin its return journey from Talaimannar at 4:10 am the following day, arriving at Colombo Fort at 10:44 am.

The service will stop at major stations including Gampaha, Kurunegala, Maho, Anuradhapura, Medawachchiya, Mannar Town, and Talaimannar Town. 

However, until renovation work at Anuradhapura New Town station is completed, the train will not halt there.

The train will feature two air‑conditioned first‑class compartments with reserved seating. 

Passengers can book seats online via seatreservation.railway.gov.lk or at stations with reservation facilities. (Newswire)

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Six (06) Sri Lankan nationals who were victims of human smuggling and abandonment in the sea area off Sand Dunes, Talaimannar have been taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy.

According to the Navy, the stranded Sri Lankans were found during a search operation conducted on Sunday (13) as part of its regular patrols covering the sea and coastal areas around the island to curb irregular migration and human smuggling.

Acting on credible information received by SLNS Thammanna of the North Central Naval Command, the search was initiated in the Sand Dune sea area of Talaimannar.

The operation led to the recovery of the individuals on a remote Sand Dune, where they had been abandoned by human smugglers. 

The group was found to be suffering from severe dehydration. It was further revealed that the individuals were illegally transported by sea from India and subsequently deserted on Sand Dune – VII.

Those individuals, aged 08 to 56, are residents of Vavuniya, Madhu, and Kokkadicholai.

They have been handed over to the Talaimannar Police for legal proceedings. (Newswire)

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The body of a 10-year-old girl reported missing in Talaimmannar last night has been found 300 meters from her residence today.

According to the Police, an investigation was launched by the Police based on a complaint filed by the child’s grandmother. 

The Police found the body of the child on a land 300 metres from her residence this morning.

At the time of discovering the body, the child was found to be wearing her dress, while her underclothing was found to be missing.

The Police have raised suspicion on the possibility of the child having been sexually abused. 

The body of the child has been placed at the Mannar Hospital for the postmortem examination. 

The Talaimannar Police has launched an investigation into the incident. (NewsWire)

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A new express train service will be launched between Colombo and Talaimannar, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced today. 

The President stated that the new express train service between Colombo and Talaimannar will commence on September 15, 2023.

He made the announcement while addressing the feast of the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in Mannar. (NewsWire)

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