Kelani Valley and Sabaragamuwa Archives

The lost glory of the KV railway Line – By Sukumar Shan Source : Ceylon — Sri Lanka / Then & Now! facebook The European planters in the Kelani Valley and Sabaragamuwa have been agitating for a railway line since the successful completion of the railway to Kandy, in 1867. This resulted in building the KV Line, at first from Colombo to Yatiyantota via Avissawella during 1900-1902. Avissawella is only 37 metres above sea level, but one gets a sense of being deep in Sri Lanka’s hill country. Its station is the terminus for the KV Line, although the train used to run to Opanayaka via Ratnapura, the city of gems. Now, we have to travel there by road. Avissavella is also an important town in the KV Line and an important junction station for the railway where the line from Colombo branched off to Yatiyantota and Opanayaka, which was extended ...