Over all the experience was very nice. To travel with all the locals, to get in touch with them and see how they travel.
The drive from Colombo to Ella was really long and you should consider a break, for example in Kandy.
We traveled in third class and you only can get a good seat in Colombo and also only when you are fast. :D When the train arrives, the locals jump on it, while its driving - be fast!
It’s getting pretty full and tight, be aware of that. Next time, ee would get a first or second class ticket because of comfort. But it was definitively a good experience, I would not like to miss.
The seats we got are not that great. They were facing backwards from the direction the train was moving and was near the lavatory of the compartment, which smelled awful whenever someone used it. Additionally, we were not able to recline properly as the seats were towards the end of the compartment as well. There were more seats available which we could've got for the 25% commission we paid for the ticket I believe. Additionally, it was revealed i couldve saved money by directly booking this through the railway rather than on this.
โคลัมโบ ไป บาดุลลา, รถไฟ #1045 Third Class Sleeperetts, Sri Lanka Railway, 2 ก.ย. 2025