Colombo to Galle by train

Is there a train from Colombo to Galle?

Quick answer: Yes. Galle is on the coast line from Colombo Fort, 113.89 km away, and the official fare is Rs 950 in 1st class, Rs 500 in 2nd and Rs 240 in 3rd on the Sri Lanka Railways fare table dated July 2022, still the published table on 23 October 2026. The same line runs on to Unawatuna, Weligama, Mirissa and Matara. On 23 October 2026 the railway had posted no notice about this line, but its online timetable did not load, so check times at the station or on the seat reservation site.

This page is about the train from Colombo Fort station in the city. If you are flying in and want to go straight to the beach, our Colombo airport to Galle and Mirissa guide covers the airport transfer instead.

What is the status of the coast line today?

On 23 October 2026 the Sri Lanka Railways media notices page had no notice about the coast line to Galle and Matara. The two newest notices were:

No notice is not the same as a promise that every train runs on time. The October rains have caused delays on other lines, so leave spare time if you have a flight or tour to catch. For the hill country lines, see our Colombo to Kandy train and Kandy to Ella train status pages.

How much is the train from Colombo to Galle and the south coast?

These are the fares on the Sri Lanka Railways fare table dated July 2022, still the published table on 23 October 2026, from Colombo Fort:

Beliatta is the last station on the table for this line. There is no railway further east to Tangalle or Yala, and no railway from the south coast to the hill country.

How do you book seats on the Colombo to Galle train?

The Sri Lanka Railways seat reservation guide gives these steps for trains that have reserved seats:

1. Go to seatreservation.railway.gov.lk and pick your start station, end station, date and number of passengers. You can book up to 5 people at a time.
2. Choose a train and a seat type, then enter your details and pay by card.
3. You get a code by SMS and email. Show it at a station with a reservation counter to collect the ticket. The guide asks you to bring your ID.

If no train shows up, the guide says the online seats may be sold out, your date may be more than 30 days away, or that station pair may not take reservations. Some seats may still be sold at stations with a reservation counter.

The guide also lists phone booking on 365 and 444 (mobile) and 1265 (landline). These are the reservation counters on the coast line in the same guide:

For how classes and tickets work across Sri Lanka, see our train booking and prices guide.

Is the train, the bus or a car best from Colombo to Galle?

Which station do you need for each beach?

• Hikkaduwa: its own station, 95.14 km out. See our Hikkaduwa guide.
• Galle Fort: get off at Galle. The station and the fort are about 500 m apart in a straight line on OpenStreetMap. See Galle.
• Unawatuna: its own station, or Galle and then about 5 km by road. See Unawatuna and our Galle vs Unawatuna guide.
• Weligama and Mirissa: both have stations, 4.73 km apart on the fare table. See Mirissa and Weligama vs Mirissa vs Tangalle.
• Matara: a larger town station 156.82 km out. See Matara.

When is the best time to take the coast train?

The train runs all year, but the beaches it serves are best when it is dry. These are the WMO 1991 to 2020 normals for Galle:

October is the wettest month at Galle. For a short coast break built around this line, see our Colombo, Galle and Mirissa weekend.

What should you check before you travel?

• Times: ask at Colombo Fort or check the seat reservation site the day before. We could not confirm times online on 23 October 2026.
• Seats: if you want a reserved seat, book up to 30 days ahead.
• Cash: carry small notes for 3rd class tickets at the counter.
• Weather: in October and November, allow extra time for delays.