The trains operating across Sri Lanka are as complex as a giant club sandwich. First, second, third class, reserved, unreserved, NightMail train ... In order to get even the tiniest clue in this wild jungle of possibilities, I would like to hand you an imaginary machete. This short but excellent guide should hopefully cover everything I learned during my train journeys in Sri Lanka. If you have any questions afterwards, please don't hesitate to contact our friendly forum, where you will get help from real travel professionals.
Train/ticket classes
As already mentioned, Sri Lanka has a broad variety of train classes. In general: Not all classes are available on all trains and not all trains can be reserved. At this point, I have to fob you off with a blunt "It simply depends". To find out, you can go to the website of Sri Lankan Railways, click on the pink "Train Schedule" button and search for your train connection. After that, you should be given a list of all the trains, including the respective classes that run on the route.
By the way, it is not possible to move between the reserved classes, as these are usually being locked after everyone has boarded.
First class
First class in Sri Lanka provides several special features. It is not only the only class that has real air conditioning, but also a seat reservation included. However, there is also a dark side. Unfortunately, the comfort of an A/C comes with the disadvantage that all windows have to stay closed (and it is not even possible to open them), so you have to do without the breathtaking "out of the window pictures". And it also means: dress accordingly, because the Sinhalese seem to follow the motto "Let's go full hog", which means that it can get quite frosty. Apart from that, the compartments (or rather the compartment, because there is usually only one) are spacious, bright, modern and comfortable. There are even British power sockets, but you still have to do without Wi-Fi.
Second class
The standard second class on Sri Lanka comes with free choice of seat. The frosty A/C is replaced by a total of three, mostly old-fashioned fans. However, since you are able to open the windows, it promises great photos and a cool breeze to be enjoyed. It provides comfortable grey faux leather seats, which are arranged 2 by 2. They offer a little more comfort than the benches in 3rd class, can be set reclined a little and even have a footrest. All in all the 2nd class is relatively comfortable and depending on the type of train even quite charming.
Third class
The third class also offers fans to make travelling between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius easier. This works sometimes more, sometimes less. In the third class, there are no seats, but benches for 3-4 people, arranged opposite each other and covered with red imitation leather. But you can also have bad luck and catch a 3rd class train where there is no seat upholstery at all. Of course, these benches cannot be reclined and there are neither tables nor sockets, let alone Wi-Fi (haha!). Above the benches, you will find a rather generous luggage rack, where even large backpacks can find room. As you might imagine, the 3rd class gets a little more crowded, but you'll get in touch with the locals, who often feel like having a little chat with the tourists.
Night-Mail-Train
There are also night trains on Sri Lanka. For example, if you want to travel from Colombo to Trincomalee on the other side of the country, you have no other choice. The Night-Mail-Trains, as they are called, usually have only one sleeping car, which is usually fully booked months in advance due to the commuting railway employees. For everyone else, there are 2nd class sleeperettes, spacious seats that can be reclined more or less far. Unfortunately, I couldn't take one of these night trains on this trip, so this is all the information I can offer you.
Reserved seats
In second and third class, selected trains offer the option of reserving seats for an additional charge. Especially with a lot of luggage, it makes the journey much more relaxed. In certain carriages, which are only available for reserved tickets, you can be sure that it will not get too crowded and you will definitely have a comfortable trip and a seat.
Seats without reservation
Here, everything runs according to the motto "first come, first served". How full a train gets, depends entirely on the route and time of day. It is best to board at the starting station, as it increases the chances of getting a seat. If you still end up standing somewhere in the corridor, you just have to be patient until the train empties gradually. Not an impossible task, but a little luck is needed.
From and until when can I reserve a seat?
1. In Person
Tickets for the (unreserved) 2nd and 3rd class are simply bought at the ticket counter on the day of departure (it is best to arrive half an hour early). Don't worry, the unreserved "seats" of 2nd and 3rd class cannot be sold out. (whether that's good or bad, is not for me to say :)
If you want to travel in 1st class, you can also try to go to the station a few days or weeks in advance and buy a ticket in person, which is clearly not fit for spontaneous travellers.
2. Online reservation
It is possible to reserve 1st class tickets, as well as reserved 2nd and 3rd class tickets - if available - online. This is, where it gets a bit tricky. On 12go.asia you can reserve trains online, but only up to 30 days before departure.
If you want to reserve a seat from 30 days before departure, you can visit this page here: Visitsrilankatour You can pay by credit card and you will immediately receive a confirmation of your booking request. After that, it takes up to 48 hours until you receive your final confirmation with the ticket number, that you can exchange for a proper ticket at the counter. The ticket price doing this is much higher - a little more than double - than if you organize your ticket yourself (which is still ok). Also note, that not all train connections are available. Only those that can actually be reserved.
3. Ask your host for help
If you have some lead time, and already secured yourself nice accommodation in the city you want to depart from, you can hope for your host's help. Many hotels, hostels and homestay owners are extremely accommodating and will do their best to help you out. So if you've already picked a train, but you're not there to buy it in person at the station, you can try contacting your host and ask them to buy the ticket for you. Of course, this is no guarantee that you will get one of the much sought-after reserved or 1st class seats, but it's worth a try. Again, the earlier the better. At this point a shout-out to my host from McQueen Homestay, who managed to get me a reserved 2nd class ticket for the route between Ella and Nuwara Eliya in no time. On a side note, you will be asked for your passport number, which is needed in order to reserve tickets for you.
4. Via phone
According to the Sri Lankan Railways website, it is also possible to book selected train journeys via telephone, starting from 30 days before departure. I personally have not tried this and therefore cannot give any exact information. The corresponding telephone numbers to the different train stations can be found on the website of Sri Lankan Railways under the button "Reservations".
I hope, this article has shed some light on the subject. If there are any further questions, please feel free to contact our friendly forum. Thanks for reading!
👁 5639
