Colombo–Badulla Night Mail

Colombo - Badulla Night Mail Train is a night time passenger and mail train that runs between Colombo and Badulla in Sri Lanka.^[3][4]

Colombo - Badulla Night Mail Train

Overview
Service type	Night mail train
Status	In service
Locale	Sri Lanka
Current operator(s)	Sri Lanka Railways
Former operator(s)	Ceylon Government Railway
Route
Termini	Colombo Fort railway station
Stops	Badulla railway station
Distance travelled	292.4 km (181.7 mi)[1]
Average journey time	8 - 10 hours
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	1045 (Colombo Fort - Badulla) 1046 (Badulla - Colombo Fort)
On-board services
Sleeping arrangements	Available [2]
Observation facilities	N/A
Technical
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
Route map Badulla Tunnel No. 43 Hali Ela Uduwara Demodara Loop Demodara & Tunnel No. 42 Tunnel No. 41 Nine Arch Bridge Tunnel No. 40 Ella Kithal Ella Heel Oya Kinigama Tunnel No. 39 Bandarawela Tunnel No. 38 Diyatalawa Tunnel No. 37 Haputale Glenonare Tangamale Sanctuary Tunnel No. 36 Idalgashinna Tunnel No. 22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34 & 35 Ohiya Tunnel No. 18 (Pattipola Tunnel),19,20 & 21 Summit 1898.1m above MSL Pattipola Ambewela Horton Plains National Park Parakramapura Closed Uda Pussellawa Railway Line Nanu Oya Tunnel No. 17 Radella Great Western Watagoda Upper Kotmale Reservoir Tunnel No. 16 Thalawakele Tunnel No. 15 St.Clair Kotagala Galkandawatta Tunnel No. 14 (Singha Malai Tunnel) Hatton Rozella Ihala Watawala Watawala Wewalthalawa Dekinda Galboda Tunnel No. 12 & 13 Penrose Inguruoya Hightenford Selam Mahaweli Ganga Nawalapitiya Warakawa Pallegama Ulapane Warakapitiya Thembiligala Wallahagoda Gampola Kahatapitiya Gangathilaka Botalepitiya Weligalla Polgaha Anga Gelioya Koshinna A sub river of Mahaweli Ganga Matale Line Peradeniya Junction KiribathKumbura Barammane Pilimatalawa Urapola Kotabagolla Kadugannawa Tunnel No. 10 (Moragalla Tunnel) & 11 Weralugolla Tunnel No. 9 Balana Tunnel No. 6, 7 & 8 Makehelwala Bambaragala Ihala Kotte Tunnel No. 5A (Meeyangalla Tunnel) Gangoda Tunnel No. 5 Yatiwaldeinya Kadigamuwa Tunnel No. 2, 3 & 4 Rambukkana Rambukkan Oya Yatagama Korossa Tismalpola Panaliya Northern Line Polgahawela Junction Walakumbura Alawwa Bujjomuwa Yattalgoda Maha Oya Ambepussa Botale Tunnel No. 1 Wilwatta Mirigama Wijaya Rajadahana  E04  Central Expressway Ganegoda Pallewela Keenawala Wadurawa Veyangoda Heendeniya Pattiyagoda Magalegoda  E04  Central Expressway Bemmulla Daraluwa Gampaha Attanagalu Oya Yagoda  E04  Central Expressway Ganemulla Bulugahagoda Batuwaththa Walpola Puttalam Line Ragama Junction Horape  E02  Outer Circular Expressway Ederamulla Hunupitiya Wanawasala Kelaniya Kelani River Dematagoda Kelani Valley Line Maradana Colombo Fort Coast Line

The Badulla-bound train departs from Colombo at 8:30pm,^[5] while the Colombo-bound train leaves Badulla at 6:30pm. The trip takes about 11 hours.^[5][6] This timetable is occasionally disrupted by unexpected events,^[7] weather,^[8] and track conditions.^[9][10][11]

Services

The train offers three classes:^[5]

• 1st class
• 2nd class
• 3rd class typically gets very crowded and carries only basic facilities.^[1][2]

Route

Colombo - Badulla Night Mail Train travels the length of Sri Lanka Railways' Main Line through the hill country.

Colombo - Badulla Night Mail Train begins its journey at Colombo Fort Station and stops only at Ragama, Gampaha, Veyangoda. Then it comes to Polgahawela junction, where the Northern Line Branches off. Train continues its journey on Main Line. At 9:45 pm, it reaches Rambukkana railway station, where the double line railway from Colombo Fort Station ends. From Rambukkana, it has to climb a steep slope of 1:44, into the hills of the upcountry. But it is a difficult task for M6 locomotive to do alone. So M5 class locomotive is attached at the rear end, as a banking engine. With the power of 2 engines, train departs Rambukkana and continues its journey to the next stop at Kadugannawa. The rear engine is removed and the train travels to the Peradeniya junction. Rear mail carriage is removed from the train and it will be attached to a train, which goes to Kandy. The train, carrying 12 carriages departs for Badulla. The next stop is Gampola Railway Station. Again a M6 class locomotive is attached at the rear end, to climb steep slopes, from Gampola to Pattipola. In the midnight, the train comes to Nawalapitiya station, where technical officers check braking systems for safe ride through the mountains. Also engine drivers change. After leaving Nawalapitiya station, The number 1046 Badulla-Colombo Night Mail Train, which was commenced from Badulla to Colombo Fort, meets at Inguru Oya Railway Station. The Train continues its journey passing Hatton,^[12] Nanuoya, Ambewela and at 4:00am, it reaches Pattipola, the highest altitude railway station in Sri Lanka. In here, rear locomotive is uncoupled and brought to the front end of the train and re-coupled, as a pilot engine, to begin its descend from Pattipola to Badulla. Dynamic Brakes are used for this continuous braking to reduce the wear of friction-based braking components. The train passes Ohiya, Idalgashinna, Haputale, Diyathalawa, Bandarawela, Ella, Demodara and reaches Badulla, in the morning.

Rolling Stock

The service is run by M6 locomotives pulling Romanian-built ASTRA passenger coaches.

See also

• Sri Lanka Railways
• List of named passenger trains of Sri Lanka