From Colombo to Kandy by train. Our experience of rail travel in Sri Lanka. The Great Journey of the Four Belyaevs

Sri Lanka has excellent public transport!

The most common and budgetary are Trains, Tuk-tuks and Buses.

Of course, no one canceled the opportunity to rent a car or motorcycle.
Motorcycles are very popular here.

But driving in Sri Lanka is very difficult because of the local driving culture.
Everyone goes as they want and where they want.

The site is quite confusing.
Therefore, I will try to tell, briefly, what's what.

Here railroad station in the city of Kandy.

Inside, as in any other station, there is a ticket office. There you can find out about any train and fares for every taste.

Everyone is waiting for the train on the platform

From the center of Sri Lanka, Colombo, you can get to any end point no more than 380 rupees.
This is equal to approximately 95 Russian rubles.

Passengers have the opportunity to choose a class of carriage with a suitable level of comfort.

The closer to the end of the train, the better and more comfortable the cars.
Below is a table with the fare, based on the class of the car.

As well as a map of train routes between cities.

In the mountains where I went, there is only one track, i.e. there is practically no chance to cross with an oncoming train. Only if at the stations.

I had bought in advance the most comfortable places. Their cost was equal to 1250 rupees, or about 300 rubles.

Only one such car was located at the very end of the train.

Everything in the car was amazing!

1) Comfortable seats with all kinds of adjustments, a footrest and a table.
The seat can be rotated in the direction of the train by pressing a special lever.

2) Air conditioner
3) Several LCD TVs
4) Pleasant LED ceiling lighting
5) Sockets for 220 volts

In general, the comfort was everything you need!

My end station was small town Ella, located high in the mountains.

The length of the path is 180-200 km. It took about 7 hours to cover this distance.
Yes, so long.

All because the road passes through picturesque mountains, tunnels and plains of Sri Lanka.
The maximum speed of the train was 20-30 km/h. And in some places 5-10 km / h.

But I was not at all tired on the way.

Not only was it comfortable in the carriage, but the view outside the window was incredibly beautiful!
Sometimes the view from the window blew my mind!

At first there was a little rain, and it was overcast.

At the stations, trains stop for a short time.
There is a maximum of 5 minutes to enter the car. Or even less.

Along the way, every 5 minutes you could see small waterfalls.

As well as mountain rivers.

Tea plantations accompanied me all the way!

Sometimes the train passed along picturesque highways.

Slowly rising above the clouds, the train was enveloped in fog!

Then the bright sun came out! There was no end to the plantations!

The train now and then climbed the mountain, descended, skirted them on the side. It was like some kind of attraction!

At times it felt like I was on a cliff. And the train is about to fall into the abyss. But no. All OK.

Periodically, the train passed through the mountain tunnels!
Insanely cool!

I suggest just look at this incredible beauty of nature!

We drove very beautiful waterfall far away.

The train has controllers that keep order so that no one breaks the rules, does not try to move from a cheaper car to a more expensive and comfortable one.

In general, as in any other country.

So, having reached the town of Ella, it was already completely dark. It was about 19 pm.

This is the end of my train journey! It was comfortable and unimaginably beautiful!
I can safely say that this is the most amazing train journey in my life!!!

There are only three types of public transport in Sri Lanka:

1) railway

2) government buses

3) small minibuses

The total length of railway lines in the country is 1447 km. The railway, as well as buses, are very inexpensive and popular modes of transport in Sri Lanka.

General information:

Railways in Sri Lanka were laid by the British colonialists in the 19th century. (and have not undergone significant modernization since then), but this does not prevent them from being one of the most inexpensive and convenient modes of transport on the island.

The operator of the railway service in Sri Lanka is the state-owned company Sri Lanka Railways, on the official website of which you can check the schedule, find out prices and other details about the route. Information about railway timetable in Sri Lanka can also be obtained from the Government Information Portal.

Rail communication in Sri Lanka is carried out on several branches ( Well, I’m writing this more for myself, so that I don’t look for schemes on my next trip):

Coast line - runs along west coast countries from Puttalam in the north, through cities such as Negombo, Colombo, Kalutara, Bentota, Beruwala, Alusgama, Ambalangoda, Hikkaduwa and Galle to the southern tip of Sri Lanka (Weligama and Matara).

Mountain line (Hill country line) - runs from the capital Colombo to Kandy and further to such settlements like Hatton (Adam's Peak), Manu Oya (Nuwara Eliya), Haputale, Bandarawela, Eliya and Badulla.

Northern line - goes from Colombo, through Kurunegala to Anuradhapura and Vavuniya, ending at Omantai. Two additional branches of this line go to Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa, as well as to Trincomalee.

Passenger cars in railway trains in Sri Lanka are divided into 3 classes, depending on the level of comfort, additional services and fares. Cars of the second and third class differ slightly. In the first case, there is the possibility of advance booking (although not always), seats with soft upholstery and less chance of crowding due to lack of seats. - 1st class trains apparently don’t run in our direction (past Bentota), at least we didn’t see them, although we lived 50 meters from the railway))) But on the Internet I found what 1st class cars look like:

We, people who are not proud, traveled in 2nd or 3rd class, we still did not understand how to distinguish them))

In general, their trains are cool - let's start with the fact that these are steam locomotives! In the mountains they actually saw a very similar picture:

Almost like a train to Hogwarts (Who does not know - this is from a fairy tale)

There are fans in the carriages and all doors and windows are open ... The local people travel like this: who leans out of the window, who stands on the steps of the door ...

It is rare where you will find 2 railway tracks, basically 1 track everywhere and a few places where it diverges into 2 lines. Very interesting))

The platform is also usually one, at large stations I saw 2. In Colombo (the guys told me) there are many platforms and everything is very confusing.

We rode the train 1 time - when we were going to Halle. On return train did not have time, because the last one at 3 pm Although trains rushed past the hotel at 10 pm - where did you ask from ?! XZ...

Okay, enough words, on the turn of the photo)))

Bridge over the railway, at the top Max:

The platform itself:

The station and we are inside the station:

... the difference in the schedule on the website, on the wall and "in life" is 30 minutes, so we were waiting

... finally the train was announced and we went to the platform - because. trains are short and platforms are long, we didn't feel like jumping on the go

The fox is tired of waiting ... and finally our steam locomotive is coming))

Of course, Max and Lisa tried to ride near open door, they liked it, my bold

I took a chance just to lean out the window a couple of times)))

The fox on the train very quickly found a Sri Lankan girlfriend. That's what children mean - they don't care that they don't know each other's language, they were able to make friends without talking. They hugged all the way))) Then an English girl joined them and they generally began to dance in the middle of the car ... Milota in a word))

That's all about the railway, in the evening I will write a post about Fort Galle

We had already been roasting on the beaches of Sri Lanka for a week, when we realized that the equatorial heat simply tired us. I wanted to freshen up. The owner of our guesthouse advised us to go on a trip to the mountains…. By train!
We took second class tickets and boarded the Kandy train for Badulla. It was the most exciting trip in my entire life!

We were lucky - the train was brand new. comfortable chairs. Half an hour later, the train entered mountain part Sri Lanka, and incredible beauty opened before us. Endless tea plantations wrap around the mountains with emerald spirals of tea bushes like a fluffy blanket. Surrounded by tropical greenery mountain ranges down to the valleys where rice is grown. Sometimes, through the long gorges, you could see glimpses of the ocean in the distance.

The doors and windows in the train were open for plowing, the train moved along a lonely mountain track with average speed 10 km/h I went to the open door of the carriage and enjoyed the views. Clouds moved slowly under my feet, tea pickers waved their hands in greeting, bright yellow kingfishers flew by, and eagles soared in the distance. The vegetation changed based on the height at which the train was moving: from the equatorial jungle to coniferous forests.

But most of all I was struck when our train drove past a real waterfall. He was so close that you could put your hand through the doorway and feel the water spray. In total, on this trip, we observed about 10 waterfalls at various distances from the road. And the number of old tunnels built by the British, into which our train dived, was simply innumerable.

From Kandy to Badulla only 110 km, but we drove 6 hours. It was a complete tour of the most beautiful places Sri Lanka, while we paid only $ 2 for it.
By the way, about tickets. There are 3 classes of wagons in Sri Lanka. The most expensive is first class, usually with air conditioning, tickets for it are always given with seats. The third class is similar to our train with the same tickets without seats: those who do not have enough seats are worth it. The second class is quite comfortable, it is not so hot in the mountains, and air conditioning is not particularly needed. Tickets for the second class can be without seats, as in the third class, or they can be with reserved seats.

All tourists are trying to sell tickets in the first class and in the second with a reserve. But these tickets are basically 10 times more expensive than second class without a reservation. In our opinion, to buy such expensive tickets only makes sense if you are coming from Colombo. Otherwise, in cars without a reserve, you will stand pressed by the crowd to the toilet doors. But after an hour of travel, the crowd of people will almost completely subside, and the train arrives in Kandy half empty. So from Kandy you can safely take a ticket to the second class without a reserve and enjoy the cheapest railways in the world.

One piece of advice to travelers and backpackers - it's best to avoid traveling in Sri Lanka public transport in mid-April, when the country is on vacation for the local New Year. Transport is very rare and local people There are a lot of people who go on vacation to the mountains.
Happy travels!

If you want to ride around Sri Lanka by train, and at the same time you are interested in the most colorful and popular destinations train tickets must be purchased in advance. Indeed, for such popular destinations as Colombo - Kandy and Kandy - Ella, there are much more people who want than tickets. If you do not think about buying tickets in advance, you can end up in a crowded third-class carriage or pay several times more than the actual price for a ticket.

From this article you will learn:

What you need to know about trains in Sri Lanka

On Sri Lankan trains, the carriages are divided into classes - from cheap third class to relatively dear first class.

Tickets in third class carriages sold in unlimited quantities. Therefore, there cannot be a situation that all third-class tickets are sold out. But it may turn out that it will fill the car incredible amount passengers. Tickets for third-class carriages cannot be bought in advance. They are only sold before the train leaves for railway ticket offices at the train station or railway station.

Second class carriages available on most trains and on popular tourist destinations. Second class carriages can be of two types: unreserved (tickets cannot be bought or booked in advance) and reserved (tickets can be bought in advance).

First class carriages only available on a few trains. All first-class tickets can be bought in advance, and not just possible, but necessary. First class carriages run along the most interesting and beautiful routes, the number of seats is limited (no standing places are provided). Therefore, tickets are usually sold out months in advance.

How to buy a train ticket in Sri Lanka in advance

Let's start with the hard way. If you are already in Sri Lanka, you have a SIM card from a local mobile operator Mobitel or Etisalat and your level of English allows you to talk on the phone, then you can call the short number 365 (for a fee) and book tickets for yourself. The cost of the ticket and the cost of the conversation (per-minute billing) will be deducted from the balance of the phone. You need to pick up tickets at the office of the mobile operator (not in every one, but only where there is a similar service).

A more reliable way to buy train tickets is to do it online, through the Internet. Find out the train schedule, buy tickets in second and first class carriages for the most popular and beautiful routes Sri Lanka is available on the website. At the time of this writing, the following destinations were available:

The Golden Triangle of Sri Lanka is an area of ​​​​historical and cultural attractions:

Highlands of Sri Lanka:

What to bring on a train trip

• drinking water and food (they can sell food on the train, but you should not expect that you can eat it),
• clothing in case of low temperatures due to air conditioners or wind (on mountain routes can be very cool)