Sri Lanka Railways has announced temporary changes to Kelani Valley line operations on May 23 and 24 to allow essential repair work at the Kota Road railway crossing between Baseline and Narahenpita stations.
The crossing will be closed and train services restricted from 9.30 am on Saturday May 23 until 7.30 am on Sunday May 24, the department said. Road traffic across the Kota Road crossing will also be completely halted during the maintenance window.
On Saturday, only three slow trains will operate from Narahenpita station out to Avissawella; no other services will run on that segment. On Sunday morning, trains will not operate between Colombo Fort and Narahenpita at all, with the same three slow trains running between Narahenpita and Avissawella.
The department urged Kelani Valley commuters — particularly Sunday morning travellers from Colombo Fort, Maradana and Baseline — to plan alternative road transport, factor in extra time, and check the revised schedule before setting out.
The maintenance falls outside the heavier weekday Avissawella–Colombo commuter peak but will affect weekend market, religious and recreation trips. The line has been the subject of two parallel investment threads this year: a Maradana–Avissawella land acquisition exercise and the longer-term 356-metre Ratnapura extension.
Sri Lanka Railways did not indicate whether the closure marks the start of a broader programme of level-crossing renewals along the Kelani Valley corridor.
