The Sri Lanka Society of Transport and Logistics (SLSTL) has urged the Government to develop an alternative railway route from Colombo to Kandy, warning that Cyclone Ditwah has exposed critical weaknesses in the country’s ageing rail infrastructure.
In a statement, the SLSTL said the damage caused by Ditwah—particularly along the Main Line—has rendered several sections impassable, with the structural integrity of a key bridge near Peradeniya still uncertain. The organisation noted that the disaster mirrors past vulnerabilities highlighted by the 2004 tsunami, which devastated the Coastal Line and led to the world’s deadliest rail disaster.
Sri Lanka’s railway network, much of it built more than 150 years ago with limited consideration for environmental risks, is increasingly exposed to extreme weather events, including cyclones, landslides, floods and tsunamis. The SLSTL said the current crisis should be treated as a turning point for rethinking railway planning and long-term resilience.
The organisation recalled that in 2017 it jointly proposed an alternative rail alignment to Kandy with the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL), a proposal it says is now more relevant than ever. While expressways have expanded road connectivity, the SLSTL stressed that rail transport must also evolve towards safer, more resilient and future-ready routes that can compete with road travel.
Recent landslides at Pahala Kadugannawa have further underscored the fragility of the existing Main Line, particularly between Rambukkana and Kadugannawa—also the stretch worst affected by Cyclone Ditwah. Although urgent repairs are required, the SLSTL said long-term planning for an alternative route is equally essential.
Globally, major cities are connected by modern intercity rail services operating at speeds of 100–160 km/h. By contrast, the Colombo–Kandy journey currently takes more than two-and-a-half hours and suffers from severe capacity constraints.
Historically, several alternative alignments to Kandy were studied as early as 1846. However, a cost-driven alignment selected in 1862—still in use today—has long been recognised as suboptimal. In 2017, the SLSTL and IESL identified two viable alternatives that could extend the proposed electrified double-track line up to Rambukkana: the Galagedera Trace, running via Galagedera Pass to Katugastota and Kandy, and the Pattiagedera Trace, following the Yattewera Oya valley to Kandy.
According to the SLSTL, these routes could reduce travel time to under 90 minutes, allow electrification extensions from Polgahawela, lower landslide risk, expand access to the hill country to support tourism, and enable double-track operations with up to 50 trains a day—more than double current capacity. The organisation also warned that doubling the existing line would be environmentally unsound and prohibitively expensive.
The SLSTL further noted that Kandy’s urban road network cannot absorb the traffic of a new four-lane expressway, arguing that a modern rail connection must form the backbone of any sustainable transport solution. It reiterated a 2017 conclusion that a new railway combined with a two-lane road could be built at lower cost than the proposed Central Expressway.
Calling for a national policy shift towards intercity express rail, the SLSTL urged the Government to treat the proposal as a strategic infrastructure priority and to commence trace explorations in 2026.
“This is not just about repairing what was lost,” the statement said. “Cyclone Ditwah should be the moment Sri Lanka chooses to rebuild smarter—for a safer, faster and more sustainable future.”
