Colombo to Galle by train - is the coastal route actually scenic or is it overhyped?
I keep seeing the Colombo to Galle coastal train mentioned alongside the Kandy to Ella train. But the two seem very different and I want to know if the coastal one is genuinely worth taking or whether you're just on a regular commuter train.
1. Is the coastal section actually beautiful from the train or do you spend most of it going through suburbs?
2. When exactly does the ocean appear and for how long is the view good?
3. Which side of the train do you sit on?
4. What class should you take and how much does it cost?
5. How long does the journey take and is it reliable?
6. Is it better in the morning or afternoon for the light and views?
7. Are there interesting stops between Colombo and Galle worth getting off at?
8. Is it worth doing the slow train vs the express?
I've done the Kandy to Ella route already so I have that as a comparison point. I'm wondering if this is genuinely its own experience or just a commuter train with a sea view.
2 Answers
I take this train regularly. It's genuinely scenic but different from Kandy to Ella, and you need to know when the good part starts.
The first hour out of Colombo is mostly going through suburbs and urban coastal areas. Not ugly but nothing special. Then around Moratuwa, Panadura, and heading south the ocean starts appearing properly and it stays with you almost the whole way to Galle.
The ocean views are on the LEFT side of the train going from Colombo to Galle. Find a left-side window seat. Sometimes the train goes so close to the water that waves splash the window in rough weather. That section, from Ambalangoda onwards to Hikkaduwa and Kosgoda, is as beautiful as any coastal train ride I can think of.
Sit in 2nd class unreserved, near a window. The train isn't crowded until the commuter services. The 7am or 8am morning trains work well for light and temperature.
Good stops you could consider: Hikkaduwa (get off, spend the afternoon, take a later train or bus), Ambalangoda (smaller, local), Kosgoda (turtle hatchery nearby). The train from Colombo to Galle takes about 2.5 hours on the slower services and just over 2 hours on the intercity express.
Is it worth it vs the bus? The bus on the Southern Expressway is faster (about 1.5 hours) but completely misses the coast. For the journey as an experience, the train wins. For just getting there, the bus wins.
The slow train is better than the express for this route because the express bypasses several of the coastal sections.
The coastal section between Hikkaduwa and Kosgoda specifically was something I wasn't prepared for. The train tracks run literally at the waterline. At high tide the sea comes up to the embankment and you can reach out the window (don't, obviously). A fisherman in a small catamaran was waving at us from about 15 metres away. That 20-minute section alone justifies the journey. It's not the same scale as Kandy to Ella but it's a different kind of beautiful.
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