Restoration of damaged upcountry railway track still ongoing

The “Udarata Menike” train operating from Colombo to Badulla is currently limited to Rambukkana due to ongoing repair work on the main railway line.

The disruption follows extensive damage caused by last year’s Cyclone Ditwah, which affected 223 locations along the main railway route. Restoration work is still underway at several of these sites.

The Ditwah Cyclone, described as one of the most devastating natural disasters in the country’s recent history, caused an estimated Rs. 69 billion in damage to Sri Lanka’s railway network—one of Sri Lanka’s primary modes of public transportation.

In particular, the 292-kilometre Colombo–Badulla railway line, built during the British colonial era, suffered damage at 223 locations due to landslides and subsidence.

As a result, train services between Colombo and the central hills were completely disrupted.

Over the past four months, railway authorities have managed to restore operations between several stations through continuous efforts. However, uninterrupted travel from Colombo is currently only possible up to Rambukkana.
On the stretch between Rambukkana and Ihalakotte, which is still under repair, 22 locations were damaged by landslides and ground subsidence during the cyclone.

Repair work is ongoing in the Kansalgamuwa area, where a major landslide had completely blocked the railway line.

Meanwhile, restoration work near Ihalakotte station—also severely affected by landslides—has now been completed.

However, reconstruction efforts are still continuing in Kadigamuwa, which suffered the most significant damage along the railway line., according to railway authorities.