Photographing the Nine Arch Bridge: train times and safe positions

As of October 2026, four trains cross the Nine Arch Bridge near Ella each day. Towards Badulla, trains leave Ella at 11:27 daily and 16:57 (15:21 on Wednesdays). Towards Nanu Oya, trains leave Demodara at 09:37 (08:19 on Wednesdays) and 15:37. Trains run late, so arrive early, and photograph from the slopes beside the bridge, never from the track.

This guide gives the timetable with its date, the safe places to stand, the drone rules, and what the bridge actually is.

Where is the Nine Arch Bridge, and how big is it?

The Nine Arch Bridge is on the railway between Ella and Demodara stations, about 2.8 kilometres along the line from Ella station.

The bridge has nine arches, each spanning about 9 metres (30 feet). The engineer who built it gave its length as 400 feet, about 120 metres, and its greatest height, from the rails to the stream bed, as just over 100 feet, about 30 metres. It is built on a curve, which is why it photographs so well from the side.

The engineer in charge, Harold Cuthbert Marwood of the Ceylon Government Railway, wrote that the work was completed in January 1919, two years after it began. It was built by local workers under British supervision. Many sources give 1921 instead. A popular story says a local builder, P. K. Appuhami, built it, but there is no documented evidence for this.

What is the Nine Arch Bridge made of?

The bridge is made of concrete. The piers are solid concrete of broken stone, sand and cement, and the arches are made of concrete blocks. The outside is faced with small sand-and-cement blocks made on site, which is why it looks like brick or stone. A popular story says steel meant for the bridge was taken for the First World War, so it was built without steel, but no documented source supports this.

The bridge and 100 metres of land on each side of the railway are a protected archaeological monument, declared in 2023. Do not climb on, scratch or mark the structure.

What time does the train cross the Nine Arch Bridge?

As of October 2026, four trains cross the bridge each day, two in each direction. Sri Lanka Railways' timetable for the reopened line, in force since 20 June 2026, gives these times.

Towards Badulla (trains leave Ella):

• 11:27, every day.
• 16:57, every day except Wednesday.
• 15:21, Wednesdays only (the Ella Odyssey).

Towards Nanu Oya (trains leave Demodara):

• 09:37, every day except Wednesday.
• 15:37, every day.
• 08:19, Wednesdays only (the Ella Odyssey).

The bridge is between the two stations, so a train towards Badulla crosses it soon after leaving Ella, and a train towards Nanu Oya crosses it shortly before it reaches Ella. Trains are often late, and the timetable will change when the rest of the hill-country line reopens, so check the times at Ella station on the day.

Why are there only four trains a day?

After Cyclone Ditwah damaged the hill-country line in late 2025, trains between Nanu Oya and Badulla, over the Nine Arch Bridge, started again on 20 June 2026. As of 3 October 2026, there is still no through train from Kandy or Colombo to Ella. See Kandy to Ella by train.

After the cyclone, rumours spread that the bridge was cracked or at risk from landslides. Sri Lanka Railways said there was no landslide threat to the bridge, and in August 2026 the National Building Research Organisation said no cracks had been found. Trains cross it as normal.

When is the best time to photograph the bridge?

Plan your visit around a train, not around the light. With today's timetable, the morning choice is the train from Demodara at 09:37 (08:19 on Wednesdays), and the afternoon choice is one of the trains between about half past three and five. Arrive early, because trains are often late.

The bridge is one of the busiest sights around Ella, busy enough that the government has planned a managed tourist zone there, with lighting for evening visits and, eventually, an entry fee. As of the latest report found (November 2025), the lighting project was postponed with no new date, and no fee had started. A fake AI video showing the bridge lit up at night has misled visitors; it is not lit.

Where is the best place to stand?

The safe places to photograph from are the slopes and paths beside the bridge, off the railway. Stay well back from the edge of the track and from the ends of the bridge, where a train comes round the curve with little warning.

Can you walk on the tracks?

Trains cross the bridge slowly, because it is on a sharp curve and a steep climb, but a train cannot stop quickly, and people have been hit here. In December 2023 a young local woman was killed by a train near the bridge, and in October 2025 an Indian visitor was injured when she was hit by a train at the bridge.

Walking on the railway is trespass under Sri Lanka's Railways Ordinance, and you must leave the track if railway staff ask you to. Watch from beside the line, never from the track or the bridge deck.

How do you get to the Nine Arch Bridge from Ella?

The bridge is about 2.8 kilometres from Ella station along the railway. The popular walk from Ella follows the railway track itself, through cuttings and a tunnel, which means walking where trains run. If you take it, check the train times first and step well clear when a train comes. Other paths reach the bridge from the road, and a tuk-tuk from Ella town can take you most of the way.

What is the Demodara loop?

Past the bridge, towards Badulla, the line makes a full loop at Demodara and passes through a tunnel underneath Demodara station itself. Coming from Badulla, you can see the station above the tunnel mouth before the train climbs round to it.

Can you fly a drone at the Nine Arch Bridge?

You cannot fly a drone freely in Sri Lanka (checked October 2026). Visitors must apply for flying approval through the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka's online drone portal before flying, register as a drone operator, and have insurance for drones of 250 g or more. The Ministry of Defence also lists a security clearance.

The Nine Arch Bridge is a protected archaeological monument, so check the authority's zone map and get permission for the site too. Even with permission, never fly over the crowds on and around the bridge.

Are there bees at the Nine Arch Bridge?

Wild bees nest around the bridge. In May 2023 a swarm attacked a group of tourists there, and they needed hospital treatment. Do not throw things at nests or fly a drone near them.

What if you are on the train?

If you are on the train, stay inside as it crosses. Do not hang out of the open doors. Foreign tourists have died doing this on this line.

Before you go to the Nine Arch Bridge

• Train times checked at Ella station on the day (timetable as of 20 June 2026).
• An early arrival; trains run late.
• A place on the slopes beside the bridge, off the track.
• Drone left in the bag unless you have CAASL approval and site permission.
• No climbing or marking the structure.
• Distance from bee nests.

Questions people ask

What time does the train pass the Nine Arch Bridge?

As of October 2026, four trains cross each day. Towards Badulla, trains leave Ella at 11:27 daily and 16:57 (15:21 on Wednesdays). Towards Nanu Oya, trains leave Demodara at 09:37 (08:19 on Wednesdays) and 15:37. Trains are often late, so check the times at Ella station on the day.

How far is the Nine Arch Bridge from Ella?

About 2.8 kilometres along the railway from Ella station. A tuk-tuk from Ella town can take you most of the way.

Is it safe to walk on the bridge?

No. Walking on the railway is trespass under Sri Lanka's Railways Ordinance, and people have been hit by trains here. Watch from the slopes beside the line, never from the track or the bridge deck.

Is the Nine Arch Bridge lit up at night?

No. A lighting project was postponed in 2025, and a fake AI video showing the bridge lit up at night has misled visitors.

When was the Nine Arch Bridge built?

The engineer in charge, Harold Cuthbert Marwood, wrote that the work was completed in January 1919. Many sources give 1921 instead.

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Coming soon: Sri Lanka Before You Land, our pre-trip ebook, covers photography on the island, from the best light to the places where a photo needs permission. A free guide, Your First Week in Sri Lanka, will cover the first days on the ground.