The Idalgashinna to Ohiya track walk the famous one is it legal and how do people do it safely

Railway family answering with both hats on The legal position walking the line is trespass on railway property full stop the practice is widespread and enforcement is rare but rare is not never and after incidents the railway police do sweep and fine The risk calculus people miscalculate the line is live with several services daily plus unscheduled goods and engineering movements the timetable tells you less than people assume The tunnels are the genuine danger zone inside one there is no refuge width in places the noise of an approaching train arrives later than intuition expects and the smoke darkness disorients What locals who walk sections do and I am describing not endorsing never enter a tunnel without confirmed knowledge of the next movements from the station staff walk single file facing likely traffic step fully off the formation the moment anything is heard and never wear earphones The lawful alternative you asked for exists and it is excellent the Pekoe Trail stage between Haputale and Ohiya rides the same ridge through the same cloud forest with the same eucalyptus and tea panoramas crossing the line legally at proper points you get Idalgashinna views without standing on sleepers and the trail markers do the navigation The honest summary the track walk photos will keep being taken the railway asks you to love the line from beside it not on it and the Pekoe stage means you lose almost nothing by complying