Taking the Train from Ella: Nine Arches Bridge, Boarding, and the Reverse Journey

Most visitors to Ella plan to arrive by the famous hill country train from Kandy. Fewer think about what it means to leave Ella by train — or how to make the most of the Nine Arches Bridge when you’re already here. This guide covers the Ella end of the journey: boarding at Ella station, viewing the bridge from outside, the short-hop to Demodara, and what to expect if you’re heading toward Kandy rather than arriving from it.

For the full Kandy–Ella route guide (booking windows, class options, best seats, and cyclone service updates), see The Kandy to Ella Train: Sri Lanka’s Most Scenic Rail Journey.

Ella Station

Ella station is small — one platform, a booking counter, and a single-room waiting area. It is about 500m on foot from the main market and easily walkable from most guesthouses in the village. Tuk-tuks wait outside.

Booking counter hours: roughly 6:30am to 6pm, with a midday break. The counter sells reserved tickets for future departures and, if available, same-day tickets. In peak season (December–March, July–August), reserved seats for the Kandy direction sell out days or weeks ahead. If you arrive in Ella hoping to get a reserved seat the next morning, check the counter the evening before.

Booking ahead online: if the counter is sold out for your dates, you can book reserved seats on the Kandy to Ella train online with instant confirmation — the same route in reverse, so it covers Ella–Kandy departures too.

Unreserved third class: always available. If reserved seats are gone, you can still board in third class — no ticket needed beyond the platform fare. On quiet days, third class has empty benches. In peak season, expect to stand for the 6-hour journey to Kandy.

The Nine Arches Bridge

The Nine Arches Bridge (Demodara Bridge) is 2.5km from Ella station. Built during British colonial rule in 1921, it spans a 24-metre-deep valley entirely in brick, stone, and cement — no steel. When the blue train crosses through the morning mist, the image is extraordinary. It is one of the most photographed railway structures in Asia.

Getting there on foot: from Ella’s main road, follow signs for Nine Arches Bridge (Demodara Road). The walk takes 20–25 minutes through residential streets and a tea estate footpath. The path is clear but unlit — don’t attempt it before dawn without a torch.

Getting there by tuk-tuk: LKR 300–500 for the return trip, with waiting time. Worth it if you want to arrive without effort and have the driver wait.

The viewing spot: a hillside opposite the bridge, reached via a short steep path through the tea estate. The platform can be very crowded during peak hours (9am–11am). Arrive early morning for the best light and smallest crowds. There are tea shops and stalls near the viewpoint.

Train crossing times at Nine Arches Bridge (approximate):

• Northbound toward Kandy (Train No. 1005): approximately 08:45–09:00
• Northbound toward Kandy (Train No. 1015): approximately 09:10–09:25
• Southbound from Kandy toward Ella: approximately 15:00–15:15

Times shift seasonally. Confirm locally at Ella station or with your guesthouse the day before. Trains cross the bridge at walking pace — there is plenty of time for photographs once the train appears.

From inside the train: the bridge is visible through windows but the famous exterior view requires being on the hillside. If you’re on the train crossing the bridge, lean out of a second-class open window for a different angle — shooting along the viaduct as it curves gives a different and also worthwhile photograph.

The Demodara Loop

One stop from Ella in the Kandy direction is Demodara — a tiny station that is also one of the engineering highlights of the route. The train makes a full 360-degree spiral loop to lose elevation, looping under itself through a tunnel before arriving at Demodara station. From the hillside above, you can watch the train disappear into the tunnel below and reappear at a lower level.

Demodara is not a request stop on all services. Confirm that your train stops there before relying on it. The short Ella–Demodara hop (and return) is a cost-effective way to experience the train and see the loop without committing to the full 6-hour Kandy journey.

Departing Ella Toward Kandy

The journey from Ella to Kandy runs the full route in reverse: Haputale, Pattipola (the highest station, usually cold and misty), Nanu Oya, Hatton, Nawalapitiya, and into Kandy. The same scenery, the same tea estates, different light.

Which side to sit: heading from Ella toward Kandy, sit on the right side of the carriage. This gives you the valley views that the left side has on the Kandy-to-Ella direction.

Departures from Ella:

• Train No. 1005 — departs approximately 06:50, arrives Kandy approximately 11:45
• Train No. 1015 — departs approximately 09:10, arrives Kandy approximately 15:05

The 06:50 departure is early but arrives in Kandy mid-morning with a full day ahead. The 09:10 departure is more relaxed but arrives into Kandy mid-afternoon.

Continuing from Ella to Badulla

In the other direction (toward Badulla), the train continues one more hour through tea country. Badulla itself is an unremarkable town and few travellers go there — but the final section of track between Ella and Badulla passes through more tea estates with good views. If you want to add an hour of scenery for its own sake before turning around, this is doable as a short excursion.

Breaking the Journey at Haputale or Nanu Oya

If you’re heading toward Kandy and want to break the journey:

• Haputale (one stop from Ella): a quieter alternative, perched on a ridge with views south over the plains. Good for an overnight stop before continuing west.
• Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya): alight here and take a tuk-tuk into Nuwara Eliya, approximately 10km away (LKR 400–600). Worth a night if you haven’t visited.

More in Ella

• Back to Ella Guide
• Nine Arches Bridge in Ella
• Hiking in Ella
• Day Trips from Ella
• Where to Stay in Ella
• Where to Eat in Ella