The modernized Galle – Matara railway track was inaugurated this afternoon, ushering in a new era in speed Railway travel in Sri Lanka. Merely 15 minutes after the Galle, it hit a speed of 100 kilometres per hour. It completed the distance in just over 30 minutes, shaving off over 15 minutes from the journey.The rail lines, which were damaged during the 2004 tsunami have been upgraded with the assistance of Government of India. A line of credit of 167.4 million US Dollars has been given by India for the rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara rail link. Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha in August had ceremonially inaugurated the work on Sri Lanka's southern coastal railway line. The work on the railway line is being handled by the Indian Company IRCON.The train was inaugurated by Sri Lankan Minister of Transport Kumara Welgama and the Indian High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha. They also traveled on the train to Matara.