Colombo to Galle by train: the coast line, times and tickets

The Colombo to Galle train runs along the coast and is running normally, as checked October 2026. The fastest trains take about two hours and twenty minutes from Colombo Fort; slower ones take three and a half hours or more. Unreserved tickets cost Rs 240 in third class and Rs 500 in second; a reserved first-class seat costs Rs 1,100.

This guide gives the times we could confirm, how to buy tickets, which side to sit on, and the road and bus alternatives.

Is the Colombo to Galle train running?

The coast line from Colombo to Galle, Matara and Beliatta is running normally, as checked October 2026. Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025 badly damaged the hill-country lines, but the coast line came through it intact. Short closures still happen after accidents or track work, so check on the day you travel.

The hill line is a different story: see the Kandy to Ella train for what runs there.

What time are the trains from Colombo to Galle?

Sri Lanka Railways' own timetable page was offline when we checked in October 2026, so use these times as a guide and confirm them at the station. On a normal timetable there are about ten trains a day from Colombo Fort to Galle on weekdays, and a few fewer at weekends. The first leaves Colombo Fort at about 7 am and the last at about 7.30 pm.

Only two trains a day from Colombo to Galle have seats you can reserve, both in the afternoon (as checked October 2026):

• 2.40 pm from Colombo Fort, reaching Galle at 5.05 pm.
• 3.50 pm from Colombo Fort, reaching Galle at 6.10 pm.

Both start at Maradana station ten minutes earlier. Named express trains on the coast line include the Galu Kumari, which leaves Colombo Maradana at 2.30 pm for Beliatta, the Ruhunu Kumari, which leaves Maradana at 3.40 pm for Matara, and the Sagarika, which runs between Colombo and Beliatta.

How long is the train from Colombo to Galle?

The fastest trains take about two hours and twenty minutes from Colombo Fort to Galle. Slower trains that stop at more stations can take three and a half hours or more (as checked October 2026).

What time are the trains from Galle to Colombo?

From Galle to Colombo, the two trains with reservable seats leave in the morning (as checked October 2026):

• 6.48 am from Galle, reaching Colombo Fort at 9.07 am.
• 7.15 am from Galle, reaching Colombo Fort at 9.40 am.

Both run every day, including Sundays. Some very early weekday trains from Galle do not run at weekends, so on a Sunday do not count on a train before about 6.45 am. Check the day's times at the station.

How much is the train from Colombo to Galle?

Colombo Fort to Galle costs (Sri Lanka Railways' published fares, still the tables dated 2022, as checked October 2026):

• Third class, unreserved: Rs 240.
• Second class, unreserved: Rs 500.
• First class, reserved and air-conditioned: Rs 1,100, plus 5% if you book online.

Going further, Colombo Fort to Matara costs Rs 300 in third class and Rs 600 in second, and to Beliatta Rs 340 and Rs 650. A reserved first-class seat costs Rs 1,400 to Matara and Rs 1,600 to Beliatta.

Which classes are there, and can you reserve a seat?

Most trains on the coast line have only second and third class, with unreserved seats: you buy a ticket and find a seat. The two reservable trains in each direction also have an air-conditioned first-class car, and that car is reserved only. There is no observation car on this line (as checked October 2026).

How do you buy tickets for the Galle train?

Reserved first class. You can book on the official Sri Lanka Railways booking site, seatreservation.railway.gov.lk, from 30 days before travel. Online booking adds 5% to the fare, and you get an e-ticket by email that you can show on your phone or print. You can also book at the reservation counters at stations including Colombo Fort, Galle and Matara. Our guide to booking Sri Lankan train tickets explains the steps.

Everything else. For all other trains, buy an unreserved second- or third-class ticket at the station on the day. Unreserved tickets cannot sell out, but they do not guarantee a seat. Sri Lanka Railways' Pravesha website and app also sell unreserved second- and third-class tickets online, up to 7 days ahead, as a QR-code e-ticket paid by Visa or Mastercard. Pravesha says these e-tickets are not valid on intercity trains, so if you are unsure, buy at the counter (as checked October 2026).

Many Galle trains start at Colombo Maradana station and call at Colombo Fort about ten minutes later. On unreserved trains, boarding at Maradana gives you a better chance of a seat.

Which side of the train faces the sea?

Going south from Colombo, sit on the right-hand side of the train for the sea. Coming back to Colombo, the sea is on the left. Reserved seats are given out by the booking system, so in the first-class car you cannot choose a sea-side seat.

Where does the train stop on the way?

The line follows the coast south from Colombo past Mount Lavinia, Kalutara, Aluthgama and Bentota, Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa before it reaches Galle. Not every train stops at every station, so check that yours stops where you want to get off.

How far is Galle station from Galle Fort?

Galle station is in the newer part of town, a short walk from Galle Fort, the walled old town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The middle of the fort is about one kilometre on foot, around 15 minutes' walk (a routing estimate, as checked October 2026).

Galle station is a terminus. Trains going on to Matara and Beliatta change direction here, so do not be surprised if your train stops for a while and then sets off the way it came in.

Can you take the train to Tangalle?

There is no railway station at Tangalle. The coast line ends at Beliatta, about 8 kilometres from Tangalle, around 15 minutes by road. The line from Matara to Beliatta opened in April 2019. From Colombo, the Galu Kumari leaves Colombo Fort at 2.40 pm and runs through to Beliatta (as checked October 2026). For whales, Mirissa is on this coast too: see whale watching in Mirissa.

Is the bus or a car faster than the train?

By car, Colombo to Galle is about 120 kilometres, mostly on the Southern Expressway. Allow about two and a half to three hours. This is a routing estimate, as checked October 2026. A car with a hired driver lets you stop on the way.

Buses also link Colombo and Galle. National Transport Commission route 2-1 runs along the coast road, at an official full fare of Rs 496 on a normal bus and Rs 970 on an air-conditioned bus. Expressway buses on route EX 1 run between Galle and Makumbura, at Kottawa on Colombo's south-eastern edge, for Rs 930. These fares are in force from 6 July 2026, as checked October 2026. No official bus timetable is published online, so ask at the bus station. See buses in Sri Lanka.

Questions people ask

How long is the train from Colombo to Galle?

The fastest trains take about two hours and twenty minutes from Colombo Fort to Galle. Slower trains that stop at more stations can take three and a half hours or more (as checked October 2026).

How much is the Colombo Fort to Galle train ticket?

Rs 240 in third class and Rs 500 in second class, unreserved. A reserved seat in the air-conditioned first-class car costs Rs 1,100, plus 5% if you book online (published fares, as checked October 2026).

What time is the train from Galle to Colombo?

The two trains with reservable seats leave Galle at 6.48 am and 7.15 am, reaching Colombo Fort at 9.07 am and 9.40 am. Both run every day, including Sundays (as checked October 2026). Unreserved trains run through the day.

Is there a Galle to Colombo train on Sunday?

Yes. The two morning trains from Galle with reservable seats still run on Sundays, at 6.48 am and 7.15 am. Some very early weekday trains do not run at weekends, so check the day's times at the station.

Is there a train from Colombo to Tangalle?

No. There is no railway station at Tangalle. The coast line ends at Beliatta, about 8 kilometres from Tangalle, around 15 minutes by road.