Editing Transport in Sri Lanka (section)

== Rail ==
{{main|Sri Lanka Railways}}
[[File:Northern Line - Sri Lanka - December 2019 (4).jpg|thumb|alt=Modern commuter train|Class S12 [[Diesel multiple unit|DMU]] commuter train in Colombo]]
[[File:Sri Lanka Railroads Map.svg|thumb|alt=Rail map of Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka's rail network]]

Sri Lanka Railways consists of an [[Inter-city rail|intercity network]] connecting major population centres and [[commuter rail]] serving Colombo commuters. [[Sri Lanka Railways]] operates the country's railway network, which includes about {{convert|1450|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of track. [[Colombo]] is its hub. Trains connect the main cities of the country's nine [[Provinces of Sri Lanka|provinces]].

Most of the railways were developed during the British colonial period, with the first line (from Colombo to [[Kandy]]) opening on 26 April 1867. The railway was introduced as an economical means of transporting goods produced on the tea, rubber and coconut plantations to the main port in Colombo. After the 1950s, the Sri Lankan economy became focused on industry rather than plantation agriculture. The road network also grew; with the introduction of lorries, a faster means of transporting goods, the amount of goods transported by rail declined. Since their network is more focused on plantation areas than on population and service centres, the railways have generated large losses.

Their potential for expansion was demonstrated when Minister of Transport [[Leslie Goonewardena|Leslie Goonewardene]] extended the [[Coastal line (Sri Lanka)|coastal line]] from Puttalam to [[Aruvakalu]] in 1974 to serve the cement factory there.<ref>{{cite web|title=Transportation in Sri Lanka|url=http://lankaholidaytrips.com/about-sri-lanka/transportation-in-sri-lanka.html|publisher=www.lankaholidaystrip.com|access-date=27 Oct 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202305/http://lankaholidaytrips.com/about-sri-lanka/transportation-in-sri-lanka.html|archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref> The railway is modernising and extending that line to facilitate faster trains and improved efficiency.<ref name="No trains">{{cite news | title =Dailymirror | url =http://www.slrfc.org/2011/04/23/no-trains-between-galle-and-kalutara-south | work =No trains between Galle and Kalutara South | date =2011-04-23 | url-status =usurped | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20111004193438/http://www.slrfc.org/2011/04/23/no-trains-between-galle-and-kalutara-south | archive-date =2011-10-04 }}</ref> [[Rail electrification|Electrification]] of the network's busiest sections was proposed in 2010 to improve energy efficiency and sustainability,<ref>{{cite news | title =Daily News | url =http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/12/25/bus04.asp | work =IESL proposes railway electrification project | date =2010-12-25 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120308023320/http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/12/25/bus04.asp | archive-date =2012-03-08 }}</ref> but no work was done. The railway is extending the coastal line from Matara to [[Kataragama]] via [[Hambantota]].<ref name="LBO south railway">{{cite news|title=Rail Finance: Sri Lanka south railway financed by US$278mn China credit|url=http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1063271941|access-date=28 September 2012|newspaper=Lanka Business Online|date=23 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009151453/http://lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1063271941|archive-date=9 October 2012}}</ref>

The Sri Lankan rail network passes scenic landscapes—particularly the Colombo-[[Badulla]] main line, which hugs the country's steep highlands. The railways connect the cities of Kandy, [[Galle]], [[Matara, Sri Lanka|Matara]], [[Jaffna]], [[Kankesanturai]], [[Mannar, Sri Lanka|Mannar]], [[Anuradhapura]], [[Gampaha]], [[Negombo]], [[Kurunegala]], [[Avissawella]], [[Kalutara]], [[Polonnaruwa]], [[Batticaloa]], [[Trincomalee]], [[Badulla]], [[Gampola]], [[Nawalapitiya]], [[Matale]], [[Vavuniya]], [[Puttalam]] and [[Chilaw]] with Colombo.

The narrow-gauge [[Kelani Valley Railway Line|Kelani Valley Line]], from Colombo to Avissawella, was converted to {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]]. The other [[narrow-gauge railways|narrow-gauge]] lines, from [[Nanu Oya]] to [[Nuwara Eliya]], [[Avissawella]] to [[Yatiyantota]] and Avissawella to [[Ratnapura]] and [[Opanayaka]], were dismantled due to financial losses. In 2007, the Sri Lankan government announced plans for Matara-[[Kataragama]] (113&nbsp;km), Padukka-[[Hambantota]]-Ratnapura (210&nbsp;km), Kurunegala-Dambulla-Habarana (80&nbsp;km) and Panadura-Horana (18&nbsp;km) lines by 2014.<ref>{{cite news | title=Pointeers | url =http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2007/02/7013/pointers-76.html | work =[[Railway Gazette International]] | date = 2007-02-01 }}</ref>