Kandy to Ella: Sri Lanka Railways

[Cricketer8for9]

I recently travelled from Kandy to Ella in Sri Lanka over a spectacular time warp of a railway. We were booked in second class, reserved, for a 7 hour journey (about 170 km). This meant slight tired two abreast unairconitioned seats, with half drop (or half raise) windows. The train doors stayed open all journey. The majority of the passengers (maybe all on this specific train) were Western tourists, but other trains had lots of locals.

Kandy is about 400 metres above see level. In about 100 Kms it climbs to a summit at 1898 metres. There’s then a sharp descent to Badulla at 800 metres. Ella, where we got off, is a backpacker friendly town with a significant Buddhist temple.

The line was built by the British in the late 1860s to open up the hills for tea plantations, many of which still carpet the hills. It will have quickly become an escape route from the tropical heat and humidity of the coast to the cooler hills. It is broad gauge, diesel worked.

It is single track with passing places at stations. While there was a tiny bit of colour light signalling immediately out of Kandy (but not Kandy itself) the rest of the line was lower quadrant semaphores controlled by boxes and, for main roads, crossing keepers.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2025 ==

We traveled behind a top and tailed single ended diesel engines. The first class air-conditioned coaches appeared to have their own generators. On the way I say trains operated by single cab hood style locos (high cab with short and long end) as well as a very British looking shunter and a diesel locomotive that may have been Japanese (it looked like a diesel version on the Spanish class 269 electrics).

The track was jointed and consequently the whole experience, with open windows and doors, was noisy. Health and Safety existed in that there were campaigns to encourage people not to use the line as a path, but broadly it was user beware.

The bridge photo is outside Ella and something of a tourist attraction as the bridge is wide enough for the train’s swept path not to encompass the whole width of the train.

I was not on a railway focused trip so the images aren’t the very best but I thought people might be interested.

And finally the first stop for us, out of Kandy is Perandeniya Junction. The line to Colombo heads right, that to Ella left. There is a single triangular platform. We came into the Colombo platform; waited until a train from Ella came in, then reversed out under the guard’s control before heading towards Ella on an avoiding track.

 

[ainsworth74]

Looks fantastic! Sri Lanka really is somewhere I want to get out to and explore including it's railway system. As you say looks like a real time warp.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

a diesel locomotive that may have been Japanese

Locomotive 782 in your ninth photo is a Class M5C built by Hitachi in 1977 and re-engined by Sri Lanka Railways around 2010 with a Caterpillar engne.

Sri Lanka Railways M5 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[railfan99]

I have been there twice, and travelled on the whole network.

Some mixed trains remain, and the section from Colombo Fort to Kandy is terrific with (once the double track ends) many crossing loops, all controlled manually.

The Jaffna line even has an overnight mail train. That part of Sri Lanka was out of bounds for many years due to civil war but thankfully that ceased.

Most stations have either gardens or floral displays in pots, and good topiary is common.

 

[Jimini]

I have been there twice, and travelled on the whole network.

Some mixed trains remain, and the section from Colombo Fort to Kandy is terrific with (once the double track ends) many crossing loops, all controlled manually.

The Jaffna line even has an overnight mail train. That part of Sri Lanka was out of bounds for many years due to civil war but thankfully that ceased.

Most stations have either gardens or floral displays in pots, and good topiary is common.

Another vote for this line. Absolutely stunning! Randomly in 1st class they were showing episodes of Tin-Tin on the TVs

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Locomotive 782 in your ninth photo is a Class M5C built by Hitachi in 1977 and re-engined by Sri Lanka Railways around 2010 with a Caterpillar engne.

Sri Lanka Railways M5 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So I was right!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2025 ==

Another vote for this line. Absolutely stunning! Randomly in 1st class they were showing episodes of Tin-Tin on the TVs

Kandy to Ella was also spectacular.

 

[Cowley]

I did most of the line in the 1990s and it was fantastic. I’d to go again next year if possible.

 

[MarcVD]

I have been there in 2019, my last trip before the pandemic, and have done 3 train trips :
- Colombo to Anuradhapura
- Kandy to Ella
- Galle to Colombo
I felt a bit unsecure when, on the last trip, we rode on the wrong main for quite some time, in order to overtake a few locals, with apparently no signalling protection at all... Otherwise quite pleasant, a sort of time machine. Even encountered a few buses converted in rail cars.
I can post a few pictures of those trips if anyone is interested.

 

[Cowley]

I can post a few pictures of those trips if anyone is interested.

Definitely interested.

I did the line from Colombo down towards Galle on my trip over there too and a couple of years later a train on that route was hit by the Boxing Day tsunami. It was terrible seeing the images of that.

 

[P Binnersley]

I went in March. Perandeniya Junction is amazing (and only 5p single from Kandy).

My wife said they've got a signalling museum in the station - It was still in daily use!



The railways are suffering from chronic underinvestment due to the low fares, but that is part of their charm.

I would recommend a visit before it all falls apart.

 

[MarcVD]

Some pictures as requested

 

[ainsworth74]

Grr I really need to plan a trip to Sri Lanka now

 

[Harpo]

I did Columbo to Galle and a bit further many years ago. The journey along the coast is spectacular while the collection of suburbs homes with front doors in the cess is sad.

It was the only time I ever got soaked while on a train as the only space I could get was one where there should have been an external door!

You’ll also encounter all the usual hassle of leach-like locals who want to take your cash by being your guide or luring you to their tuk-tuk, lieing to you about your train’s destination or stops if needed.

Definitely worth a visit while your body can tolerate long-haul flights.

 

[MarcVD]

It was the only time I ever got soaked while on a train as the only space I could get was one where there should have been an external door!

We had our trip carefully planned with a local travel agency, who provided a car and a chauffeur-guide. All our train trips were reserved well in advance. It think it's worth doing if you want to avoid that kind of adventure.

You’ll also encounter all the usual hassle of leach-like locals who want to take your cash by being your guide or luring you to their tuk-tuk, lieing to you about your train’s destination or stops if needed.

Did not encounter any of this. We had a guide, but he did not travel with us on the train, as he was busy conveying the car with all our luggage. That kind of service does not cost that much over there and makes a big difference on how you can enjoy your stay.

Definitely worth a visit while your body can tolerate long-haul flights.

Not wealthy enough to afford business class, but discovered premium economy recently, and enjoying every bit of it !