During the year-end and New Year holidays, securing train tickets on certain Sri Lanka Railway routes can be highly competitive. When trying to book your desired train on the reservation website https://seatreservation.railway.gov.lk/mtktwebslr/, you might find that the train you want at your preferred time doesn’t appear.
Could it already be sold out? (Tears) Some of you might be facing this frustrating situation.
One of the most popular routes is the highland area, where you can enjoy the scenic views of tea plantations as the train moves along. The route from Kandy to Nanu Oya (the nearest station to Nuwara Eliya) is particularly sought after. However, the journey takes over three hours, so many travelers opt to ride only the most scenic section, which lasts about an hour.
Among these, the most frequently used section is between Nanu Oya and Hatton. However, due to what seems to be a quirk in the web reservation system, there are cases where time slots with available seats do not show up. Let’s test this out. (Verified on December 5.)
On December 31, New Year's Eve, let’s search for a train from Nanu Oya Station to Hatton Station on the reservation website.
When you do this, you’ll see that only one train is available, departing in the early morning around 6:00 AM!
At this point, you might think it’s sold out and feel like giving up—but don’t! Instead, try changing your destination to “Nanu Oya to Kandy.” Hatton Station is an intermediate stop along this route. And then... (something surprising happens!)
Yes, look at how many options are available!
There are still trains departing from Nanu Oya Station at relatively convenient times, such as around 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM (noon).
Since the search is for Nanu Oya to Kandy, the train will indeed go all the way to Kandy, but you can, of course, get off at Hatton Station along the way. In this case, it will be treated as an intermediate stop, and while the ticket might feel a bit wasteful, you can think of it as paying for the experience.
For those worried about whether the train actually stops at Hatton Station, download the Trains - Sri Lanka app below:
In this app, search for the same route, Nanu Oya to Kandy.
Once you find the desired train from the list of available times, tap the three vertical dots (···) on the right side of the screen and click “View schedule of this Train.”
This will show you the complete schedule, including which stations the train stops at and the arrival/departure times. For reference, let’s take a look at the 9:05 AM departure. Note: The timings in the Trains - Sri Lanka app may have a slight margin of error.
Nanu Oya 9:08am
↓
Radella 9:23am
↓
Great Western 9:32am
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Watagoda 9:42am
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Talawakele 9:55am
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Kotagala 10:13am
↓
Hatton 10:23am
Yes, the train mentioned above does indeed stop at Hatton Station. The journey from Nanu Oya to Hatton takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.
The areas around these stations are mostly tea-producing regions. For example, Talawakele is home to the Talawakelle Tea Estates, a very famous tea plantation and factory. The name "Talawakelle" itself is a well-known brand in Sri Lanka.
The next station after Hatton, Rosella, also has a large tea estate, and some Japanese travelers stay at cottages attached to the plantation.
By the way, Hatton Station is quite a large station, and the town has a significant population. It offers a unique Tamil cultural experience, making it a place worth exploring rather than just passing through. Don’t underestimate these small stations—they have their own charm!
This secret trick for booking Sri Lanka Railways is to search for a longer route if your desired short route isn’t available, and then get off at your intended stop. Use the railway map to apply this method flexibly.
You’ll likely find various patterns for other routes as well, so don’t give up and keep exploring. Have a great trip!
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