The Kandy to Ella Train in 2027: Line Status, Tickets, Timetable and Best Seats

The good news is that the open section is the one most people come for. From Nanu Oya, the station for Nuwara Eliya, the line climbs past Pattipola, the highest station on the network, runs along the Idalgashinna ridge and drops through tea estates into Ella. You lose the Kandy to Nanu Oya stretch, which is pretty but not the highlight.

Sri Lanka Railways is running a special timetable on the reopened section. These times were published in late October 2026; check the booking portal before you travel, because special timetables change.

The 09:00 departure is the one we recommend. It gets you to Ella before midday, with time for Little Adam's Peak or the Nine Arches Bridge in the afternoon, and the morning light over the tea estates is usually clearer.

While the Kandy section is closed, the smoothest plan combines a private car with the open stretch of railway:

1. Kandy to Nuwara Eliya by road (about 2.5–3 hours), stopping at Ramboda Falls and a tea factory. Stay a night in the hill country.
2. Nanu Oya to Ella by train on the 09:00 departure, about 2.5 hours. Nanu Oya station is a short drive from Nuwara Eliya.
3. Your driver takes the luggage by road to Ella (about 2–2.5 hours) and meets you at the station.

That is exactly how we route our 10-day itinerary, and it means a cancelled or delayed train costs you nothing: the car simply drives you on.

Fares on Sri Lanka's railways are low, but published figures disagree and change, so treat the ranges below as a guide and confirm the price when you book.

1. 1

   Check the date window

   Reserved seats go on sale 30 days before travel. Set a reminder: popular trains in peak season sell out within minutes of opening.
2. 2

   Open the official portal

   Go to seatreservation.railway.gov.lk, the Sri Lanka Railways reservation site. Do not use look-alike resale sites.
3. 3

   Choose the train and class

   Search Nanu Oya to Ella (or Badulla). Pick first class, second class reserved or third class reserved where offered.
4. 4

   Enter passenger details

   Foreign passengers need a passport number for each traveller. Ticket names and passport numbers can be checked on board.
5. 5

   Pay and keep the e-ticket

   Pay by card and keep the confirmation. Booking closes 2 hours before departure, and tickets can only be cancelled if Sri Lanka Railways cancels the train.

Sold out? Unreserved tickets are sold at the station on the day, and the train is still worth riding if you do not mind standing for part of the way. Or ask us: we plan around the train dates when we build your route.

The rule of thumb: sit on the right from Kandy to Nanu Oya, and on the left from Nanu Oya to Ella. The line twists constantly, so the view swaps sides often; second class, with opening windows and doors, makes it easy to move.

The Nine Arches Bridge sits between Ella and Demodara, so a ticket that ends at Ella does not cross it. Most people walk to the bridge from Ella (about 30–45 minutes, or a short tuk-tuk ride) and wait for a train.

Crossing times follow the special timetable. Trains heading to Badulla cross a little after they leave Ella, and return trains cross shortly before they reach Ella. We have not found a reliable published list of 2026 crossing times, so ask locally or allow an hour of waiting. See our Nine Arches Bridge experience and train journey experience.

You do not have to choose. With a driver, you ride the train and the car follows. For more on what a driver should cost, see our car and driver rate guide.

When Sri Lanka Railways restores the line through Kandy, the classic journey returns: Kandy to Ella in about 6.5 to 7 hours, through Peradeniya, Gampola, Hatton and Nanu Oya. Expect demand for reserved seats to be very high in the first months, so book on the day sales open, 30 days ahead.

Until then, plan on the Nanu Oya route. Itineraries we build in 2027 include it by default and switch back to the full journey only once services are confirmed.