The Sagarika express train, running from Beliatta to Maradana, derailed near the Wadduwa railway station on Thursday morning, severely disrupting services on Sri Lanka’s coastal line.
Both tracks at the site were blocked by the derailment, bringing long-distance services along the southern corridor to a halt. According to the Railway Department, services from Colombo were restricted to Panadura, while trains running from Matara were limited to Kalutara.
Recovery operations were underway as of mid-morning, but officials had not announced when full services would resume. Newswire reported the derailment at around 9:34am.
Railway Department General Manager Ravindra Pathmapriya later confirmed that re-railing operations for the Sagarika had commenced and said the coastal line is expected to be fully restored within two days. A revised timetable has been issued while repairs are underway, and officials said discussions were ongoing about deploying an alternative train while the damaged carriages are taken out of service. The Minister of Transport has instructed officials to minimise inconvenience to commuters, with the damaged train described as a significant loss for an already-limited fleet.
The coastal line is one of Sri Lanka’s busiest commuter and tourist routes, linking Colombo with Galle, Matara and the southern terminus at Beliatta on the Southern Railway extension. A blockage on this corridor typically forces commuters onto already-congested bus services along the Galle Road.
The disruption follows a sequence of recent operational pressures on Sri Lanka Railways, including the northern line resumption after Cyclone Ditwah and the rolling out of post-Avurudu return special services.
The cause of the derailment had not been confirmed at the time of publication. No casualties had been reported.
