Train services on the Northern Line between Colombo Fort and Kankesanturai resumed on Thursday morning, the Department of Railways confirmed, marking a significant milestone in the recovery from Cyclone Ditwah.
According to Sri Lanka Railways, a train departs Mount Lavinia at 5:15 AM bound for Kankesanturai, while the return service leaves Kankesanturai at 1:05 PM. Seat reservations are available across both services, allowing commuters and passengers travelling for the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year to plan their journeys to the north.
The Northern Line, which connects Colombo to Jaffna via Vavuniya and Anuradhapura, was severely disrupted by Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025. That storm, the deadliest to strike Sri Lanka in over a decade, killed 646 people and caused an estimated $4.1 billion in damage across the island’s east and north. Sections of track, embankments and signalling infrastructure were washed out, cutting rail access to the Jaffna peninsula and forcing commuters onto already strained bus routes.
The resumption comes just days before Avurudu, which falls on April 13-14, and will ease pressure on road transport during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. SLTB has also rolled out 5,300 special buses for the same period, underlining the scale of holiday travel demand.
The northern rail link is economically significant not just for passenger travel but also for freight and for connections between Colombo and the Kankesanturai port area. Full restoration, including the return of all scheduled intercity services, is expected in the coming weeks.
