Train services on the Colombo–Puttalam railway line were fully restored early this morning (16), following disruptions caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
The Railway Department announced yesterday (15) that the section between Chilaw and Puttalam would reopen today, enabling trains to operate along the entire stretch from Colombo Fort to Puttalam.
Services on the Puttalam line had been temporarily suspended due to extensive damage from the cyclone. Operations were gradually reinstated in stages—first up to Negombo, Kochchikade, Nattandiya, and Kudawa railway stations, and later extended to Chilaw Railway Station on December 29.
According to the Department of Railways, train operations beyond Chilaw were severely affected, with sections of track washed away near the Baththuluoya bridge between Chilaw and Puttalam, a landslide obstructing the line near the Thillayadi sub-station, and multiple stretches of railway swept into the Deduru Oya near the Manuwangama sub-station.
The 4:00 a.m. train from Colombo Fort today became the first passenger service to operate the full route to Puttalam following the cyclone, marking the complete restoration of services along the line. (NewsWire)