The rail journey from Kandy to Ella, traversing the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka, is widely regarded as one of the most scenic train rides in Asia. The route climbs from Kandy at 465 metres through the tea country around Nuwara Eliya to Pattipola â the highest railway station in Sri Lanka at 1,890 metres â before descending through hill country to Ella at approximately 1,000 metres. The journey passes through 47 tunnels and crosses numerous bridges and viaducts, with the landscape shifting from lowland rainforest through montane cloud forest and into the vast tea plantations of the Uva and Dimbula regions.
The most celebrated section of the route is between Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) and Ella, which crosses the Nine Arches Bridge near Demodara â a stone viaduct built during the British colonial period using no steel reinforcement, now one of the most photographed railway structures in the country. The full journey from Kandy to Ella takes approximately six to seven hours. First-class observation saloons with panoramic windows are available for advance booking. Second- and third-class compartments allow travel with open doors, which many passengers prefer for photography.
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