Demodara Railway Loop – engineering marvel of Colonial Era By Arundathie Abeysinghe

Demodara is a scenic town located close to Ella and is popular for the curved Nine Arch Bridge between *Ella and *Demodara Railway Stations and the famous railway loop considered as a unique engineering marvel of British Colonial Era.

Situated about 15 minutes drive from Ella, Demodara Railway Station is a unique Railway Station not seen in any part of Sri Lanka located between Ella and *Uduwara Railway Stations.

According to tourists, this beautiful and unusual Railway Station is the only such kind of station in the world. The Railway Station is situated on top of a tunnel. The beauty of the Railway Loop is its location and its unique structure. The railway track that goes through the tunnel ascends in a loop to the Demodara Railway Station and winds its way gracefully. But this feature cannot be seen properly while traveling in a train. It can be observed when walking along the railway track.

The concept of this loop was a sudden idea that occurred to the engineers when they were planning to construct the railway line at this location. As they were planning to construct the railway line at this location, initially they did not have an idea how to build the railway line as the location was unusual. According to folklore, while the engineers were discussing various methods to construct the railway line at Demodara, they observed a Kangany (a tea estate supervisor who was supervising the workers nearby) who untied his talappa (head gear) and re-tied it around his head. This act of the Kangany was the basis for the concept regarding the Railway Loop at Demodara. Spectacular location of the railway loop adds extra splendor to the unique marvel.

According to the mechanism of this railway loop, a train enters Demodara Railway Station on a higher elevation from one direction. When the train leaves the station, it loops around and returns in the same direction with the railway line looping and encircling an adjoining hill situated above and then the train passes through a tunnel underneath which it used to arrive at the Railway Station. The elevation change occurs during the loop. Although situated at different levels, the tunnel is almost perpendicular to the Railway Station.

The design of the loop enabled engineers to take the railway track to a higher elevation and also keep to the gradient stipulated by the standards. The Railway Loop is around 92 meters long and the tunnel is around 320 meters in length.

It is popular as the “Demodara Loop” or “Demodara Railway Loop” and the railway station is situated right above a tunnel amidst verdant vistas, spectacular mountains, with breathtaking views. This is the only tunnel in Sri Lanka where the train tracks cross each other on different levels. The design of this Railway Loop is called “Looping the loop” by railway enthusiasts.

Location of the Railway Loop is an ideal place for rail enthusiasts who can see 360 degree view of the railway loop where the railway line crosses itself.

Demodara Railway Station and Railway Loop is a splendid engineering marvel that can be viewed better from a higher viewpoint. Locals living near Demodara Railway Station know places where this unique marvel can be seen.

There are several mountains near Demodara Railway Station to view this engineering marvel. It is better for rail enthusiasts to check the train time at least 45 minutes before the arrival of the train and climb a nearby mountain to see the spectacular sight. 

Location: Demodara, about seven kilometers from Ella

• Badulla – Situated in lower central hills, Badulla is the capital city of *Uva Province and Badulla District.
• Demodara Railway Station – Situated about 278 kilometers away from Colombo and about 912 meters above mean sea level, Demodara Railway Station is the third last station on the *Main Line. All trains which run on the Main Line stop at Demodara Railway Station.
• Ella – Situated at an elevation of 1041 meters above sea level amid lush green forests, rolling carpets of tea and breathtaking mountains, Ella is a small town in the *Badulla District of *Uva Province. Popular among local and foreign tourists, Ella has a mild climate and a laid-back atmosphere.
• Hali ela – A Divisional Secretariat of Badulla District of Uva Province.
• Main Line – A major railway line in the railway network of Sri Lanka, the railway line begins at Colombo Fort and winds through the hill country and reaches its destination, Badulla. The breathtaking train journey from Kandy to Badulla through rolling carpets of tea, spectacular mountains and verdant vistas is considered as “the most scenic train journey in Asia” by local and foreign tourists.
• Uduwara Railway Station – Situated between Demodara Railway Station and *Hali ela Railway Station on the Main Line and about 280 kilometers from Colombo.
• Uva Province – This is the fourth largest province in Sri Lanka bordered by Central, Eastern and Southern provinces.