Can I still take the train from Kandy to Ella?

Not the whole way. The section from Nanu Oya to Ella is running and it's the most scenic part of the route, but you'll need to reach Nanu Oya by road first.

When will the full line reopen?

Current expectation is the end of 2026 or early 2027. That timeline has already moved once, so treat it as a guide rather than a promise.

Is the Nine Arch Bridge section running?

Yes. Nine Arch sits between Ella and Demodara, on the section that has reopened.

Is it worth doing just the Nanu Oya to Ella part?

Yes. It's the stretch that made the journey famous — tea estates, mountain switchbacks and the viaducts. The section you're missing is the least scenic part.

What if I have large suitcases?

Send them by road. There is no practical luggage storage on these trains. We move bags for guests as part of our transfer service.

Is the road journey scenic too?

Very. The climb through Ramboda and the tea country above Nuwara Eliya is one of the best drives in the country, and you can stop at waterfalls and tea factories that the train passes without stopping.

Is the Kandy to Ella train running in 2026?

Last checked: 7 August 2026

The short answer

Part of it is running. The famous part.

The Nanu Oya to Ella to Badulla section reopened in mid-2026 — that's the tea country stretch through Ambewela and Haputale, the Nine Arch Bridge and the Demodara Loop. The photographs everyone comes for are all on this section, and it is running again.

What is not running is the line from Colombo up to Kandy. Cyclone Ditwah damaged the Colombo–Badulla line at 223 separate locations in late 2025, and a handful of the hardest sites between Rambukkana and Kadugannawa are still under repair. Trains from Colombo currently terminate at Rambukkana. Full restoration is expected by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

So the journey most people picture — board at Kandy, step off at Ella — cannot be done end to end right now. But the best three hours of the hill country run can.

What this means for your trip

You have to get yourself up to Nanu Oya by road. From there, the train is yours.

Most travellers we speak to don't realise this and assume the whole thing is cancelled. It isn't. It just needs one road leg at the start.

Rough drive times to Nanu Oya:

From Colombo — about 5 hours
From Kandy — about 3 hours
From the airport — about 5.5 hours

The train from Nanu Oya reaches Ella in roughly two and three-quarter hours. Services run through the day, with the last departure in the late afternoon.

The luggage problem nobody mentions

Hill country trains are full. Not "a bit busy" — full, with people standing in the vestibules and sitting in the doorways. There is no luggage van and no rack that takes a large suitcase.

If you are travelling with anything more than a daypack, you have three options: leave your bags at a hotel and come back for them, wrestle them onto a crowded train and hope, or send them ahead by road.

This is the single most common thing that goes wrong on this leg, and it is entirely avoidable.

How we handle it

We drive you to Nanu Oya, book your train tickets in advance, and put you on the platform with a daypack. Your driver takes your luggage by road and is waiting for you at Ella station when you get off.

You get the ride. You don't get the queue, the scramble for a seat, or the suitcase on your lap for three hours.

Ask us about the train connection

Booking the train yourself

If you'd rather do it all independently, that's completely fine and here's what to know:

Reserved seats on the scenic section sell out well in advance in peak season. Book as early as you can.
Unreserved carriages are available on the day but mean standing for much of the journey.
Check the Sri Lanka Railways site directly before you travel. Sections have been reopening in phases and published timetables have lagged behind reality all year.
Have a road plan as a backup. Repairs are ongoing and dates have moved more than once.

Frequently asked

Planning the whole trip? See our Hill Country & Tea circuit — six days through Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Horton Plains.