Kandy to Ella trainIs it running?
Not from Kandy. Since Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025, the train runs only from Nanu Oya, near Nuwara Eliya, through Ella to Badulla. The best part of the ride is still there: you just reach it by road.
Checked 27 September 2026
Share a taxi from Kandy to Ella instead
On AlsoGoing, travellers post the trips they are taking, often in a taxi with seats left. Ask for one, and split the fare between you. Free, always.
Where the line stands
- Kandy → Nanu OyaNot running
Cut by Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025. Officials expect the whole line back before the end of 2026.
- Nanu Oya → Ella → BadullaRunning
Back since 20 June 2026, after seven months closed. This is the high tea-country part of the ride.
- Colombo → KandyNot yet
Trains from Colombo stop at Rambukkana. The line to Kandy is expected to reopen in October 2026.
From Sri Lanka Railways announcements as reported by NewsFirst, 6 September 2026, The Sunday Times, 21 June 2026 and Ada Derana. Check with the railway before you travel: dates slip.
Kandy to Ella, for now
Two ways to get there while the line is cut
Keeps the view
By road to Nanu Oya, then the train
The road to Nanu Oya station takes about 2h 46min (79.6 km). From there the train climbs through Pattipola, the highest station in Sri Lanka, and Haputale before coming down into Ella: the tea-country stretch the ride is known for.
On a budget, buses from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya run often, and Nanu Oya station is a short tuk-tuk ride from Nuwara Eliya.
Quickest
By road the whole way
Kandy to Ella by car is about 3h 50min (137 km), through the hills the train would have taken. A taxi is paid for the car, not the seat, so shared between travellers going the same way each pays a fraction.
Share the road
Somebody in Kandy is probably going the same way
With the train cut, everybody heading for Ella is on the road. AlsoGoing is where travellers post the trips they are taking, often in a taxi they booked with seats left, and where you ask for one. You agree the split between you and settle it in person. Nothing is paid through AlsoGoing.
Questions about the Kandy to Ella train
Is the Kandy to Ella train running?
Not from Kandy, as of 27 September 2026. Since Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025, the train runs only from Nanu Oya, near Nuwara Eliya, through Ella to Badulla. Officials expect the whole line back before the end of 2026.
When will the Kandy to Ella train reopen?
No date has been announced for the Kandy end. Officials expect the whole line from Colombo to Badulla back before the end of 2026, with Colombo to Kandy first, expected in October 2026. The date at the top of this page says when it was last checked.
Can I still do the scenic train ride to Ella?
Yes, the high part of it. Trains run from Nanu Oya through Pattipola, the highest station in Sri Lanka, and Haputale down to Ella, then on to Badulla across the Nine Arch Bridge.
How do I get from Kandy to Nanu Oya?
By road, about 2h 46min (79.6 km). Buses from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya run often, and Nanu Oya station is a short tuk-tuk ride from Nuwara Eliya.
How long does it take from Kandy to Ella by road?
About 3h 50min by road (137 km).
Where travellers share
Shared taxi routes
Colombo ⇄ Kandy
Colombo is where almost every visitor arrives, by air or by sea.
Kandy ⇄ Ella
From Kandy the road climbs into tea country.
Ella ⇄ Arugam Bay
Arugam Bay is one of Sri Lanka's best-known surf towns, on the east coast.
Ella ⇄ Mirissa
Mirissa is one of the south coast's main beach towns, known for whale watching and its curve of sand.
Colombo Airport ⇄ Kandy
Almost every visitor lands at Colombo Airport (CMB), at Katunayake north of the city, and many skip Colombo and head straight inland.
Colombo Airport ⇄ Sigiriya
Sigiriya's rock fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is at the heart of what's called the Cultural Triangle, with Dambulla's cave temples and the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura within reach.