The hill-country railway is the Main Line from Colombo to Badulla, and the reason it is famous is the stretch beyond Kandy. Here the line climbs through tea estates to the highest station in Sri Lanka, runs along a ridge with views over half the island, then winds down through Haputale and Ella to the end of the line. This page is about the ride itself: which stretch to choose, what you see along the way, where to sit and how to enjoy it safely. For tickets and classes, see our train travel guide.
Parts of the line are still being repaired after Cyclone Ditwah, so see the travel update at the top of this page for which sections are running.
Is the train ride right for you?
Go if you enjoy slow travel and don’t mind trading comfort for views. The train is unhurried and noisy, the windows open, and for hours at a time there is little outside but tea, forest and mountains. Many visitors count it among the highlights of their trip.
Think twice if you are on a tight schedule or can’t face standing. Trains often run late, and recent visitors (2025–26) report packed unreserved carriages at busy times, where you may stand for the whole journey and see little but other people’s backs. If you can’t get a reserved seat, a shorter section, or a driver for part of the way, may suit you better.
The line, from Kandy to Badulla
The railway was built into the hills in stages: it reached Kandy in 1867, Nawalapitiya in 1874, Nanu Oya in 1885, Bandarawela in 1894 and finally Badulla in 1924. It was built to bring coffee and tea down to Colombo for export, and you can see why the planters wanted it: from Nawalapitiya onwards, tea estates cover almost every slope.
Kandy to Nanu Oya. Kandy itself sits on a short branch from Peradeniya Junction, where the Main Line carries on into the hills. Through Gampola and Nawalapitiya the line climbs into tea country. Hatton is the station for Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak), and Nanu Oya is the station for Nuwara Eliya, a short drive away. If you start in Colombo, you also get the Kadugannawa incline west of Kandy, where the track clings to the side of sheer cliffs.
Nanu Oya to Haputale. For many people this is the best part. The line keeps climbing to Pattipola, at about 1,898 m the highest station on the network, then runs through a long series of tunnels: there are 14 between Ohiya and Idalgashinna alone. Idalgashinna stands on the ridge that divides the hill country. On a clear day you look north towards Welimada and Hakgala, and south over the lowlands as far as the coast near Hambantota and the Udawalawe reservoir. Sri Lanka Tourism picks out the ride between Haputale and Idalgashinna for its bird’s-eye views.
Haputale to Ella. After Haputale the line drops through Diyatalawa and Bandarawela, where all trains stop, then winds down through tea and forest to Ella. Mist can roll across this section at any time, and you can leave Nanu Oya in sunshine and reach Ella in rain.
Ella to Badulla. This short last stretch has the line’s two best-known pieces of engineering. Between Ella and Demodara the train crosses Nine Arch Bridge. At Demodara the line then makes a spiral loop of about 900 m and passes through a tunnel that runs directly beneath Demodara station. From there it is a short run down to Badulla, the end of the line, at about 292 km from Colombo.
One thing surprises many people: a ticket from Nanu Oya to Ella never crosses Nine Arch Bridge, because the bridge is on the far side of Ella. To ride over it, stay on towards Demodara or Badulla.
Which stretch to ride
If you only have a few hours, Nanu Oya to Ella covers the summit, the tunnels, Idalgashinna and the long descent through tea. Recent visitors (2025–26) report about two to two and a half hours for this section, though delays are common. Add the run on to Badulla if you want the bridge and the loop, or break the trip at Haputale or Ella and do it in pieces.
Which trains run, and when, changes with the repair work and the timetable. The best-known day trains have names, such as the Podi Menike and the Udarata Menike. Sri Lanka Railways has also run special tourist trains on the line, such as the Ella Odyssey. When its Nanu Oya–Badulla service launched in 2025, the railway said it would pause at Idalgashinna and at Nine Arch Bridge so passengers could take in the views. Check the latest services with Sri Lanka Railways before you plan around any of them.
Where to sit and how to see the most
Most recent visitor reports favour the left-hand side going from Nanu Oya to Ella, where the views open out over the valleys, and the right-hand side on the way back. The line winds so much, though, that the best view swaps sides again and again, and either window will give you plenty.
The windows in second and third class open, which is the main reason many visitors prefer them for photos. The air-conditioned first-class carriages are more comfortable, but their windows don’t open. Our guide to booking yourself, using an agent or hiring a driver helps if seats have sold out.
Mornings are usually clearer in the hills, and cloud often builds later in the day, so an earlier train gives you the better chance of a clear run over the summit and along the Idalgashinna ridge.
Safety: stay inside the carriage
The doors on these trains stay open while the train is moving, and sitting or hanging in the doorway has become the photo everyone wants. It kills people. The UK government’s travel advice warns that visitors have died after hanging out of open doors and windows. In June 2024, a foreign passenger died after being struck by the wall of tunnel No. 19, between Nanu Oya and Idalgashinna, while leaning out of a doorway. In January 2024, a young tourist was badly hurt after falling from a moving train near Ella while taking a selfie. After the 2024 accident, the railway’s general manager reminded passengers that under the Railways Act they should stay inside the carriage while the train is moving.
So keep your head, arms and camera inside, especially as the train enters a tunnel or passes trees and cuttings close to the track, and keep a hand on children near open doors and windows. Keep your passport and phone on you rather than in a bag on the rack; the UK advice also warns of theft and pickpocketing.
On board
- Food: vendors walk the carriages and work the platforms selling snacks and tea, according to recent visitors. Much of it is spicy, so bring something plainer if you prefer, and plenty of water.
- A warm layer: the hills are much cooler than the coast, and it can be cold by the open windows near the summit.
- Rain gear: showers can blow in through the windows as well as catch you on the platform.
- Time: trains often run late. Don’t plan a tight connection or a sunset viewpoint at the other end.
- Luggage: big bags are awkward in a crowded carriage. On longer trips many people send them ahead with a driver and ride the scenic section with a day pack.
Breaking the journey
You don’t have to do it in one go. Haputale makes a good overnight stop for the ridge views and the tea estates around it, Ella is the base for the walks, and Badulla is a working provincial town at the end of the line. Nanu Oya to Ella one day and Ella to Badulla and back another gives you the whole hill section without a ten-hour day.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Which side of the train is best from Nanu Oya to Ella?
Most recent visitors recommend the left-hand side towards Ella and the right on the way back. The line winds, though, so the views switch sides often.
How long does the train take from Nanu Oya to Ella?
Recent visitors report about two to two and a half hours, but trains often run late.
Does the train from Nanu Oya to Ella cross Nine Arch Bridge?
No. The bridge is between Ella and Demodara, so you only cross it if you stay on the train beyond Ella towards Badulla.
What is the highest point on the line?
Pattipola station, at about 1,898 m, is the highest station on Sri Lanka’s railway network.
Is it safe to sit in the open doorway?
No. Visitors have been killed and injured leaning out of doorways, including a fatal accident at a tunnel between Nanu Oya and Idalgashinna in 2024. Stay inside the carriage while the train is moving.
Can I take the train from Kandy to Ella now?
Parts of the line have been under repair since Cyclone Ditwah. See the travel update at the top of this page for which sections are running.
Header photo: AntanO / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
