Sri Lankan railway authorities expect to restore train services between Colombo and Kandy next month after reconstruction work on sections damaged by Cyclone Ditwah nears completion.
Train services between Colombo Fort and Kandy are expected to resume in the first week of next month, according to the Ministry of Transport, pending completion of reconstruction efforts on a railway line damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. The Railway Department Chief Engineer Priyantha Digala attributed progress on the project to the commitment of railway workers involved in the reconstruction.
Cyclone Ditwah damaged 97 locations along the railway line between Maradana and Kandy. According to the Ministry of Transport, restoration work at 92 of these locations had been fully completed by last month. The section between Ihala Kotte and Kadugannawa was among the areas most severely affected, with five locations near Balana Railway Station destroyed by landslides and earth slips.
Currently, Upcountry train services operate only between Colombo and Rambukkana, while services between Nanu Oya and Badulla resumed on 20 June. Train services between Rambukkana and Nanu Oya remain suspended. The Ministry of Transport noted that restoration work on the Kalu Bridge between Peradeniya and Kandy, which sustained severe damage, is still ongoing, suggesting full restoration of the complete route may face further delays beyond the stated resumption timeline.