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Sri Lanka Train Times and Line Status - Which Lines Run After the Cyclone Repairs

Choose two stations and see whether the journey can be made by train now, which stretches are open or still closed after Cyclone Ditwah, and the departure times Sri Lanka Railways has announced.

Maintained by Hirantha Sandaruwan Lakshan. Rules checked 28 October 2026 against Daily Mirror, 28 September 2026 and 5 more sources.

About this tool

Trains run from Colombo Fort to Peradeniya and Gampola again from 2 October 2026, but not yet to Kandy, and the line between Gampola and Nanu Oya is still closed. Each status has its date and source. Nothing you choose leaves your browser.

How it works

Cyclone Ditwah in late November 2025 left only the Coastal and Kelani Valley lines running. The others have reopened in stages: the Northern Line to Kankesanthurai on 9 April 2026, Nanu Oya to Badulla on 20 June 2026, and Colombo Fort to Peradeniya and Gampola on 2 October 2026.

Each stretch between the main stations has a status and the dated report or Sri Lanka Railways notice it comes from. A journey is possible by train only if every stretch on it is open. Kandy is on a short branch from Peradeniya, and that branch is closed because the Mahaweli River rail bridge is damaged, so trains on the Main Line stop at Peradeniya.

The departure times are the ones Sri Lanka Railways announced for the reopened Main Line services from 2 October 2026, such as the Podi Menike Express leaving Colombo Fort at 5.55 am, and the reserved-seat times it gave for the Northern Line (5.15 am from Mount Lavinia to Kankesanthurai and 1.05 pm back). No times are copied from unofficial timetables, so many trains are not listed.

This is a dated reference, not a live timetable. Trains are cancelled, retimed and added, and closed stretches reopen. Check the date at the top of the result, book reserved seats on the official seat reservation site, and confirm at the station. Sri Lanka Railways publishes no fare table online, so no fares are given.

Worked examples

Colombo Fort to Ella

Only part of the way. Trains run from Colombo Fort to Gampola (the Podi Menike Express leaves at 5.55 am and reaches Gampola at 9.06 am), Gampola to Nanu Oya is closed, and Nanu Oya to Ella and Badulla runs again since 20 June 2026.

Colombo Fort to Kandy

Not to Kandy itself: trains run as far as Peradeniya, for example the 3.35 pm Intercity Express, which reaches Peradeniya at 5.56 pm. Peradeniya to Kandy is closed while the Mahaweli River bridge is repaired.

Colombo to Jaffna and Kankesanthurai

Yes. The Northern Line reopened on 9 April 2026. Reserved seats are offered on the 5.15 am from Mount Lavinia to Kankesanthurai and the 1.05 pm back.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Colombo to Kandy train running?

Trains run from Colombo Fort to Peradeniya again since 2 October 2026, but not into Kandy: the Peradeniya to Kandy branch is closed because the Mahaweli River rail bridge is damaged. The status was checked on the date shown with the result.

Can I take the train from Colombo to Ella now?

Not all the way. Colombo Fort to Gampola and Nanu Oya to Ella and Badulla are open, but Gampola to Nanu Oya is still closed after the cyclone, so the middle part needs road transport.

What time does the Podi Menike leave Colombo Fort?

Sri Lanka Railways announced train 1005, the Podi Menike Express, leaving Colombo Fort at 5.55 am daily from 3 October 2026 and reaching Peradeniya at 8.34 am and Gampola at 9.06 am. It returns from Gampola at 4.10 pm.

Is the Jaffna train running?

Yes. Northern Line services to Kankesanthurai resumed on 9 April 2026, with reserved seats on the 5.15 am from Mount Lavinia and the 1.05 pm from Kankesanthurai.

Where can I see train fares?

Sri Lanka Railways publishes no fare table online, so this page gives none. Book reserved seats on the official seat reservation site or ask at the station.

How up to date is this?

Each stretch's status was checked by hand on the date shown, from Sri Lanka Railways notices and dated news reports linked on the page. Services change, so confirm before you travel.

Updated Oct 28, 2026