Riding the train over the Nine Arch Bridge

Riding the train over the Nine Arch Bridge is brief: a few seconds on the arches, high above the valley, with tea and forest falling away below. The crossing itself is short, but the approach through cuttings and round the hillside builds the moment, and you often see crowds waving from the viewpoints.

The train continues to Demodara, where the line loops round a hill and passes beneath itself, and then on to Badulla, the terminus. Riding the whole stretch gives a much better sense of the engineering than standing at a single viewpoint.

The ride is a different experience from the famous Kandy to Ella journey: shorter, quieter and focused on one remarkable stretch of line.

Any eastbound train leaving Ella towards Demodara and Badulla crosses the Nine Arch Bridge, as does any westbound train coming from Badulla. Several trains run each day in each direction, but times vary and delays are common, so check at Ella station.

For a short ride, unreserved second or third class tickets are usually bought at the station shortly before departure. Reserved seats on the main expresses are booked further ahead and are not needed for a short hop.

The cheapest and simplest plan is to ride from Ella to Demodara, walk around the station area and the loop, then return by the next westbound train or by tuk-tuk.

Heading east from Ella towards Demodara, the curve of the Nine Arch Bridge is usually seen best from the right-hand side of the train, looking back along the arches as the line bends. Some travellers report the opposite depending on where they stand in the carriage, so ask locally and be ready to move.

Unreserved carriages are often busy, so a window seat is not guaranteed. Standing near a window, rather than in a doorway, is the safer way to get a view.

Leaning out of carriage doors for photographs causes serious injuries every year on this line. Keep your body inside the train, especially on the bridge and in cuttings.

After riding over the Nine Arch Bridge to Demodara, you can return to Ella on a westbound train, take a tuk-tuk back by road, or walk back along the paths to the bridge and town. The walk is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours, steep in places.

Walking back along the tracks is popular but risky and in places prohibited, and trains can appear suddenly in cuttings and on curves. The road route or a tuk-tuk is the safer choice.

If you ride all the way to Badulla, combine it with Dunhinda Falls or the town's temples, then return to Ella by road, roughly 45 minutes to an hour.

A ride over the Nine Arch Bridge fits easily into a half day in Ella. Take a morning train to Demodara, explore, and be back by lunch. Or combine it with a Badulla day trip.

Lankan Stays & Trails can time the ride for guests and arrange a driver to meet them at Demodara or Badulla, so the return is quick and safe.