Read this blog: The one where we do actually travel the scenic route by train in Sri Lanka
Monday 16th March 2026
The train route from Ella to Kandy was part of the more extensive Hill Country Line, and Sri Lanka Railways describes this stretch of the track as being the most “scenic section of the trip”. Unfortunately the trains are not currently departing from Kandy but Walkers Tours [who also provided our car and driver] had booked two seats in Observation Class for us to travel from Ambewela to Ella on the 09:30 train.
We travelled by the rail replacement service from Nuwara Eliya to Ambewela Station to catch the train [see also Selfie of the day].
The route is popular and passengers are advised to buy tickets and book a reserved seat for this trip two to three months in advance. When we arrived at the station, about an hour before the scheduled departure time, there were queues of people waiting to buy tickets. A handwritten sign pinned to a door frame also warned people that the 13:30 departure was already fully booked.
The original historic train carriages have long since been replaced by modern rolling stock painted in colours reminiscent of home. Sadly it transpired that there was no Observation Class carriage on this service but our seats were in First Class with air-conditioning. As with many other places we have visited, not all the people who booked holidays in Sri Lanka have been able to travel and Matilda was able to move into the row in front of Robert so she could also enjoy a window seat.
The train left on time. Initially, we thought that we may have tickets on the ‘wrong’ side of the train to enjoy the spectacular views. However, after about half an hour we emerged on the side of a mountain overlooking a valley with the landscape stretched out before us. We had the best views from here on.
The line was built between the 1860s and the 1920s to transport goods and people between the highlands and the port in Colombo. Initially this was coffee and plantation staff, but after the epidemic of coffee rust disease killed the majority of the coffee plants, tea became the predominant crop.
Opportunistic tuk tuk drivers wait to see if they can pick up a fare at the stations along the line, which are small and are often painted in colourful shades.
It is always a treat to travel round a long bend in the track and be able to see the train carriages stretching out behind you.
The track passes through tunnels carved from the mountains; over bridges soaring over valleys and through lush green tea plantations and jungle [see also feature photo].
The guard looks as though he has stepped out of the past, smartly dressed like a military gentleman with bright white trousers, a cap and a jacket with an ornamental shoulder braid [also known as an ‘aiguillette’].
He dismounts at each station to supervise those boarding and disembarking and flourishes his green flag to signal when the train is ready to depart.
Robert would like to apologise for the sheer volume of videos and photographs from this trip but he has been missing train travel and could not decide which ones to leave out. Please be assured, this is a fraction of the photos and footage actually taken.
Whilst the Observation Car should provide passengers with panoramic views, in second and third class you can open the windows for a better view.
Robert discovered that the doors at the front of our carriage were kept open and he was able to enjoy the fresh mountain air as we travelled past tall, straight eucalyptus trees with the bark peeling off.
He was also able to get unimpeded shots of the journey.
The majority of the line is single track but there are a few sections where there are two sets of tracks where trains can pass.
Robert was amused to see a handcar with a maintenance crew being towed by a train.
Ella definitely attracts a totally different type of tourist. The main street is lined with bars and bijoux shops selling clothes and mementoes which would not look out of place on a fashionable high street in the UK.
The tourists are a significantly younger demographic mostly with backpacks and a surprising number of them have young children with them.
Video of the day:
Selfie of the day:
Dish of the day:
Route Map:
Discover more from TravellingHerd
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
