Sri Lanka has one of the oldest railways in Asia. It has an interesting mix of modern as well as classic trains manufactured in England, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, India, China and Eastern Europe which makes the island a train spotters paradise.

The trains are a mix of old and new where some of the rolling stock dates back to the middle of the twentieth century. The standard of comfort, speed and cleanliness is far lower than what is seen on European railways but the tickets are ridiculously cheap.

Some of the rail routes run along waterfalls, mountains, lush tea estates, pine forests, jungles and the ocean making them some of the most scenic railway journeys in the world.

Trains are popular with tourists because it is an economical way to see some of the most beautiful parts of the island. The routes from Colombo to Galle, Colombo to Kandy and Kandy to Ella are the most popular journeys among tourists.

All the trains are owned by the government and have three classes of service, namely First Class, Second Class and Economy (Third class).

First Class air-conditioned seats are available on some intercity express trains. Some first class overnight trains have sleeping-berths but they are only available on a very few overnight trains.

First Class observation carriages are available on certain daytime trains, such as those that run on main lines between Kandy and Ella. These trains are popular among tourists. The observation cars enables the passengers to have a full view of the scenery and is usually located at the rear of the train but can occasionally be attached behind the locomotive.

The windows in First Class compartments can't be opened therefore it is not ideal for filming and photographing the spectacular views.

Second Class seats are found on all intercity trains and are available as reserved or unreserved seats. The windows in Second Class compartments can be opened therefore it is ideal for filming and photography.

Economy Class seats are available on all trains. This class has only the very basic facilities and can get extremely crowded.

The windows can be opened therefore it is ideal for photography and filming. There is no air conditioning on any of the carriages.. One can also come across some unusual activities in 3rd Class such as hawkers selling various products and drinks to passengers.

Train timetables and details of ticket prices are available from train stations or from the Sri Lanka Government Railway Information website.

https://eservices.railway.gov.lk/schedule/searchTrain.action?lang=en