Train services on the Kelani Valley railway line will be restricted from 9.30 a.m. on Saturday (6) until 7.30 a.m. on Sunday (7) while the Department of Railways carries out essential rehabilitation work at the Cotta Road railway crossing, located between Baseline and Narahenpita stations.
The crossing will be completely closed to vehicular traffic during the work, and trains will not operate between Colombo Fort and Narahenpita for the duration of the closure, the Railways Department said.
Three slow trains will operate from Narahenpita to Avissawella on Saturday: Train No. 9262 at 5.15 p.m., Train No. 9264 at 6.20 p.m. and Train No. 9271 at 8.30 p.m. On Sunday morning, three slow services will run in the reverse direction from Avissawella to Colombo Fort — Train No. 9649 at 5.15 a.m., Train No. 9641 at 5.55 a.m. and Train No. 9651 at 6.25 a.m.
The Railways Department apologised for the inconvenience and asked passengers and motorists to use alternative routes while the crossing is closed.
The Cotta Road work comes as Sri Lanka Railways continues a wider track and rolling-stock rehabilitation push, including the 10,000 rails being imported for the coastal line and Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake’s 2027 timeline for the Colombo suburban electric railway. The Kelani Valley line, which links Colombo Fort to Avissawella via the southeastern suburbs, has been a recurring focus of weekend maintenance shutdowns.
