Uda Pussellawa Railway

Udupussallawa Railway
Nanu Oya Railway Station
Overview
Native name	උඩුපුස්සැල්ලාව දුම්රිය මාර්ගය
Status	Closed
Owner	Ceylon Government Railway
Locale	Sri Lanka
Termini	Nanu Oya Ragala
Stations	5
Service
System	Ceylon Government Railway
Operator(s)	Ceylon Government Railway
History
Opened	1904
Closed	1 March 1948
Technical
Line length	19 mi (31 km)
Track gauge	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Highest elevation	1,925.6 m (6,318 ft)

Udupussallawa Railway was a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway line that existed in Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka) between 1904 and 1948. The line connected Nanu Oya with Ragala via Nuwara Eliya.

History

The closest station to the Nuwaraeliya town on existing Main Line (Sri Lanka) was Nanu Oya station. The distance from Nuwara Eliya to Nanu Oya was about 4 miles and Colonial planters in Nuwaraeliya faced many difficulties when transporting goods from Nanu Oya to Nuwaraeliya. They asked for a railway track from Nanu Oya to Nuwaraeliya from the British governor Sir West Ridgeway who was on a trip to Nuwaraeliya on 25 April of 1895. Considering their appeal initial work of the track was started on November 1900. The first stage up to Nuwaraeliya was completed and opened on 14 December 1903 by Sir Henry Blake, and the whole line was completed in 1904.

Infrastructure

The line was constructed in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. The total length from Nanu Oya to Ragala was 19 miles, and 5 main railway stations were built on the line. They were Blackpool, Nuwaraeliya, Kandapola, Brookside and Ragala. The highest elevation on the line was at Kandapola railway station. Its elevation from the sea level was 6316 feet.

Rolling stock

The first steam engine to run on this line was imported on 1902 from the Fast Stewart company in England. The famous CGR class H1 steam engine has also performed on this line for few years.

Operations

In 1920 5 goods trains and 11 mixed trains were operating on this line. There was a special luxury compartment for governor's journeys.

Decline and closure

In the 1940s transportation by lorries was getting popular and demand for the railway transport was gradually decreasing. Road transport in this area became faster than railway transport. So the services on the line was incurring losses day by day.

In 1940, all passenger services were withdrawn and only two freight trains were in operation between Nanu Oya and Ragala.

Considering the operational difficulties, the government has decided to abandon this line. In 1942, the first stage from Nanu Oya to Nuwaraeliya was removed, and later in 1948 the remaining part up to Ragala was removed. On 2 August 1948 all services were withdrawn and the line was completely removed.

Remains

Though the railway line was removed the railway station buildings were not removed and the parcel transfer services from these stations were carried out for many years. Some ruins of these stations can be seen even today. Some are used as government offices.

See also

• Sri Lanka Railways
• CGR class H1
• Rail transport in Sri Lanka