Intensive efforts are currently underway in the final stages of reconstruction for the Rambukkana-to-Gampola section of the Up-country railway line—which had suffered severe damage due to Cyclone Dithwa—to enable the operation of the first train from Colombo to Gampola via Peradeniya.
Cyclone Dithwa, which swept across the island on November 27, 2025, damaged over a hundred locations along the Up-country railway line between Rambukkana and Gampola; at some points, the track resembled a suspension bridge with its cables torn loose.
The condition of the line was such that few believed it could be restored to its original state. However, the RR Company undertook the reconstruction project and took swift action to rebuild the line.
Everything is now in readiness to resume train operations from Colombo on October 2nd, following ten months of work. While traveling along the railway line from Kadugannawa to inspect the tracks—which are being prepared for the resumption of train services after ten months—we spoke with local residents who remarked that, given the extent of the destruction, they had never believed it would be possible to rebuild the line in this manner.