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Nanu Oya to Ella to Badulla Train

The scenic Nanu Oya to Ella to Badulla section runs daily. No train runs from Kandy at present, so you join at Nanu Oya.

Scenic  Sri Lanka

The Nanu Oya to Ella to Badulla section runs today, with two or three trains a day in each direction. Sri Lanka Railways restarted special trains between Nanu Oya and Badulla on 20 June 2026, after the Ambewela to Nanu Oya section that Cyclone Ditwah damaged was repaired.[1]

No train runs from Kandy at present. Government information of 1 October 2026 says train services between Peradeniya and Kandy remain suspended because the Peradeniya Black Bridge is not finished, and that restoration continues on the Gampola to Nawalapitiya and Hatton to Nanu Oya sections.[2] The railway's media notices list no newer announcement on this.[3] To ride the hill-country section you reach Nanu Oya another way, for example by road from Kandy, and board there.

Map: Natural Earth (public domain) · Lines drawn through the stations of each service

Train, Bus, Flight and Ferry tickets

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Which train to take

Train 1005 leaves Nanu Oya at 09:00 every day, is scheduled at Ella at 11:27 and reaches Badulla at 12:16. Train 1015 leaves Nanu Oya at 14:30, reaches Ella at 16:57 and Badulla at 17:46, and does not run on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays the Ella Odyssey, train 1043, runs instead, leaving Nanu Oya at 13:00 and reaching Ella at 15:21 and Badulla at 16:12.[1]

In the other direction, train 1006 leaves Badulla at 15:00 every day and reaches Ella at 15:52 and Nanu Oya at 18:06. Train 1016 leaves Badulla at 09:00, passes Ella at 09:52 and reaches Nanu Oya at 12:16, but not on Wednesdays. The Wednesday train 1044 leaves Badulla at 07:45, passes Ella at 08:43 and reaches Nanu Oya at 11:29.[1]

All trains call at Ambewela, Pattipola, Ohiya, Idalgashinna, Haputale, Diyatalawa, Bandarawela, Ella and Demodara.[1] The railway publishes one time per station and its own timetable page was marked as under development on the day it was checked, so confirm the trains for your date in the booking search.[4]

Classes and fares

According to the notice, seats in air-conditioned first class and in second class can be reserved on these trains, online or at stations with a reservation counter.[1] The booking system lists observation saloon, air-conditioned saloon, second class and third class as the seat types it sells on reservable trains.[5]

The railway's rate sheet gives ordinary fares by distance. From Nanu Oya to Ella (64.54 km) they are 600 rupees in first class, 300 in second and 160 in third. From Ella to Badulla (20.81 km) they are 250, 150 and 60 rupees.[6] Reserved seats are priced separately, so the booking site shows the fare for your date.

How to book

Seats are booked on the railway's online seat reservation site. You create an account, log in and enter a passport or ID number for every passenger. Booking opens 30 days before departure and closes 2 hours before it, one booking covers at most five seats, and the system picks the seats for you. A 5% convenience fee is added, and you pay by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, Discover or LANKAQR.[5]

The ticket arrives by email, and the railway says the station issues no paper ticket, so you travel on the e-ticket, printed or on a screen.[5] Seats can also be bought at stations that offer the service. The counter at Nanu Oya is listed as open from 07:00 to 23:00 and the one at Ella from 06:00 to 21:30.[7]

Stations

Nanu Oya is where the trains start and end for now. Ella lies 64.54 km beyond it on the rate sheet, and Badulla, the end of the line, is another 20.81 km on, with Demodara 6.13 km after Ella.[6]

Scenery

The Nine Arch Bridge near Ella is described by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority as one of the best examples of colonial-era railway construction in the country, with a total length of 91 m.[8] Between Nanu Oya and Ella the trains pass Pattipola, Ohiya, Haputale and Bandarawela, all on the timetable above.

When the full journey will return

The government says services to Kandy and Matale are expected to resume once the Peradeniya bridge is finished, and it puts the share of the upcountry line that is operational at about 75%.[2] No reopening date for the Kandy to Nanu Oya stretch was found, so watch the railway's media notices before you plan around it.

Timetable

Kandy to Badulla

TrainDepartsArrivesDaysClass
1005Special train09:00Nanu Oya12:16 BadulladailyFirst class, air-conditioned, Second class
1043Ella Odyssey special13:00Nanu Oya16:12 BadullaWednesday onlyFirst class, air-conditioned, Second class
1015Special train14:30Nanu Oya17:46 Badulladaily except WednesdayFirst class, air-conditioned, Second class

Badulla to Kandy

TrainDepartsArrivesDaysClass
1044Ella Odyssey special07:45Badulla11:29 Nanu OyaWednesday onlyFirst class, air-conditioned, Second class
1016Special train09:00Badulla12:16 Nanu Oyadaily except WednesdayFirst class, air-conditioned, Second class
1006Special train15:00Badulla18:06 Nanu OyadailyFirst class, air-conditioned, Second class

Timetable source: Sri Lanka Railways notice of 18 June 2026 (special trains Nanu Oya to Badulla, two-page timetable)[1]. Times change with timetable revisions. Check the operator's timetable before you travel.

Classes and fares

ClassTypeFare
First class, air-conditioned Air-conditioned first class, reservable on all trains named in the June 2026 notice.Soft seat Air-conditionedLKR 250 to LKR 600[6] ordinary rate by distance: Ella to Badulla 250, Nanu Oya to Ella 600; reserved seats are priced on the booking site
Second class Reservable on all trains named in the June 2026 notice.Seat LKR 150 to LKR 300[6] ordinary rate by distance: Ella to Badulla 150, Nanu Oya to Ella 300; reserved seats are priced on the booking site
Third class Listed as a reservable type by the booking system; the June 2026 notice does not name it.Seat LKR 60 to LKR 160[6] ordinary rate by distance: Ella to Badulla 60, Nanu Oya to Ella 160; reserved seats are priced on the booking site

Stations

Main stations in travel order. Distances from the first station, where the operator publishes them.

  1. Kandy 0 km

    මහනුවර

    No trains run from here at present; Peradeniya to Kandy is suspended.

  2. Peradeniya Junction 5.9 km

    පේරාදෙණිය

  3. Hatton 65.9 km

    හැටන්

    Hatton to Nanu Oya is still being restored (government information, 1 October 2026).

  4. Nanu Oya 98.1 km

    නානුඔය

    The trains to Ella and Badulla start here today; the ticket counter is listed as open 07:00 to 23:00.

  5. Haputale 139 km

    හපුතලේ

  6. Bandarawela 150.2 km

    බණ්ඩාරවෙල

  7. Ella 162.6 km

    ඇල්ල

    The ticket counter is listed as open 06:00 to 21:30.

  8. Badulla 183.4 km

    බදුල්ල

    End of the line, 20.81 km beyond Ella on the rate sheet.

How to book

Train, Bus, Flight and Ferry tickets

Booking and payment are handled by 12Go, not GoAsia. We may receive a commission when you book through our links.

  • Book with the operator

    SLR online seat reservation[5] · Sales open 30 days before departure.

  • At the station

    mTicketing counters, for example Nanu Oya 07:00 to 23:00 and Ella 06:00 to 21:30[7]

Sources and background

Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.

  1. [1] Sri Lanka Railways: Train services from Badulla to Nanu Oya have resumed after restoration of the Ambewela-Nanu Oya railway section damaged by Cyclone Ditwa (notice with timetables, 18 June 2026). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  2. [2] Government of Sri Lanka, news.lk: Train Services to Peradeniya and Gampola to Resume from October 2. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  3. [3] Sri Lanka Railways: Media Notices (list of announcements). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  4. [4] Sri Lanka Railways: Train Schedule Notice (timetable page under development). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  5. [5] Sri Lanka Railways: Online seat reservation FAQ. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  6. [6] Sri Lanka Railways: Ella: Passenger Ticket Rates (main line). Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  7. [7] Sri Lanka Railways: mTicketing service enabled stations for ticket printing and purchasing. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
  8. [8] Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority: Ella Tourism Development Management Plan, Volume 1 Part A. Retrieved October 18, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a train from Kandy to Ella now?

No. Services between Peradeniya and Kandy are suspended, and the Gampola to Nawalapitiya and Hatton to Nanu Oya sections are still being restored, according to government information of 1 October 2026. Trains run from Nanu Oya to Ella and Badulla.

Which trains run from Nanu Oya to Ella?

Train 1005 leaves Nanu Oya at 09:00 every day and train 1015 at 14:30 except Wednesdays. On Wednesdays the Ella Odyssey, train 1043, leaves at 13:00.

How do I book a seat?

On the railway's online seat reservation site, with an account and a passport or ID number for each passenger. Booking opens 30 days ahead and closes 2 hours before departure, and a 5% convenience fee is added.

How much is the train from Nanu Oya to Ella?

The railway's rate sheet lists ordinary fares of 600 rupees in first class, 300 in second and 160 in third. Reserved seats are priced separately on the booking site.

Can I use an e-ticket?

Yes. The railway says no paper ticket is issued for online bookings, so you travel on the e-ticket, printed or shown on a screen.

When will trains run from Kandy again?

No date has been announced. The government expects services to Kandy and Matale to resume once the Peradeniya Black Bridge is finished.