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Railway status checked 8 November 2026. The direct Ella-to-Kandy train is currently not operating. Sri Lanka’s Main Line was damaged during Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025, and further landslides affected reopened sections in October 2026. Trains are running between Nanu Oya, Ella and Badulla, but the railway is not open continuously from Ella to Kandy. Check with Sri Lanka Railways before travelling; restoration dates can change.
Is the Ella to Kandy Train Currently Running?
Not as one continuous journey. The scenic Ella–Haputale–Nanu Oya section reopened in June 2026 and is operating, but Kandy and the railway beyond Nanu Oya are not connected by a regular through-service at present. Sri Lanka Railways publishes notices, and the official train search can help with timetable planning. A departure listed on an old third-party timetable is not proof that the train currently runs.
How to Get from Ella to Kandy While the Line Is Disrupted
Scenic train and road: Take an operating train from Ella to Nanu Oya if available on your travel date. Nanu Oya is the railway station for Nuwara Eliya. From there, arrange a car or onward road transport to Kandy, allowing ample time for the winding mountain roads and possible weather delays.
Travel entirely by road: A private car or connecting public buses can reach Kandy without using the closed railway sections. Exact times depend on road conditions, weather and connections. Breaking the journey around Nuwara Eliya is an option if you want to explore the tea country.
The currently operating rail section takes in stations such as Haputale, Ohiya, Pattipola and Nanu Oya, with dramatic tea plantations and hill-country scenery. The train is still worth experiencing even though the full historic route has not been restored. If you are planning the wider route, our Galle to Ella bus guide explains how to reach Ella from the south coast.
Ella Train Timetables, Tickets and Reservations
Check current departures using the Sri Lanka Railways timetable search, selecting Ella and Nanu Oya with your specific travel date. For reserved seats, use the official railway booking website. Sri Lanka Railways publishes a booking guide explaining that online reservations can be made within 30 days of departure, subject to available seats and services.
Different train classes and observation carriages are not offered on every service. Check what is available for the specific train and date. Avoid unofficial sites that falsely present themselves as Sri Lanka Railways: the Sri Lankan High Commission warns about fraudulent booking websites.
Our Original Ella to Kandy Train Journey in 2012
The original account below picks up after our four-day journey through southern Sri Lanka, which began on the coast and brought us into Ella.
Travel archive — 2012. This is our experience taking the train from Ella to Kandy in Sri Lanka. The fares, departure times, train classes and booking arrangements below are what we encountered then, not a current train timetable or ticket guide. Check present-day Sri Lanka Railways information before travelling.
For our 2012 journey, we booked a first-class observation saloon seat at Ella railway station the evening before departure. We paid around 700 rupees per person at the time and tried to sit near the large observation window. These were our experiences in 2012, not a price or booking recommendation for today.
The departure times we recorded for our journey in 2012 are no longer useful for present-day booking. For current trains on the operating portion of the line, use the official search above.
Our Ella to Kandy Train Journey in 2012
The railway between Ella and Kandy has long been associated with the transport of Ceylon tea from the hill country. On our 2012 visit we found two early passenger departures that could carry us towards Kandy. Ella’s train station is the coolest I’ve seen bringing the feel of a timeless British Colonial period.
First Class Observation Saloon
We travelled in the 1st class observation saloon which trails at the back of the train and has a large glass viewing window. The rickity, wooden wagon sways side-to-side as we journey through hills of rippled tea fields passing religious shrines, rustic villages, waterfalls and lazy monkeys. Kids ran to chase the train and locals greeted our passing with a waving hand or raised cricket bat. The crack of fireworks continued to sound for the New Year.
Food and Snacks Along the Railway
At stations en route locals sell drinks, yogurts, biscuits and crisps. At one stop I bought 4 pieces vadai then enjoyed the perfect nap. I wake an hour later as water splashed in my face and passengers scrambled to close the carriage windows. We had met heavy rain and outside the scenery had changed. We were now in Sri Lanka’s rainforests and were closing in on Kandy.
Arriving Near Kandy in 2012
Disembarking at a station near Kandy we were met by tuk-tuk drivers eager to bring us too many of Kandy’s prestigious sounding hotels. The hotel we chose however looked to have its heyday in the 80s and was now haggard and dated. Tall rooms with shaky wooden ceiling fan, a single light-bulb, twin beds, bedside bible, built-in table radio, bathroom bidet, broken air-conditioning, musty smells and all matched with haphazard service. Just think ‘Faulty Towers’.