''Ruhunu Kumari '' (, Princess of "Ruhuna" - southern province) (Tamil: உருகுண இளவரசி) is a daytime
passenger train
A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self pr ...
that runs between
Colombo and
Matara in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
The Matara-bound train departs from Colombo at 3.50 p.m., while the Colombo-bound train leaves Matara at 6.05 a.m. The trip takes about 2.45 hours.
Services
The train offers two classes
*''Second class'' is more comfortable than the third class.
*''Third class'' typically gets very crowded with commuters, And provide only the basic facilities.
Route
The ''Ruhunu Kumari'' travels the length of Sri Lanka Railways' Coastal Line through the south-west coast of Sri Lanka, from Colombo-Fort to Matara.
The ''Ruhunu Kumari'' begins her southbound journey at
Maradana station
Maradana Railway Station ( si, මරදාන දුම්රිය ස්ථානය, ta, மருதானை ரயில் நிலையம்) is a major rail hub in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The station is served by Sri Lanka Railways, ...
and goes to
Fort Railway Station, the primary railway station in Colombo. Then she passes stations at
Slave Island,
Kollupitiya,
Bambalapitiya, and Wellawattha, all situated within
Colombo city. Then she passes the rapidly growing cities of
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia,
Ratmalana, and
Moratuwa
Moratuwa ( si, මොරටුව, ta, மொறட்டுவை) is a large suburb of Colombo, on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. It is situated on the Galle–Colombo (Galle road) main highway, south o ...
.
As she enters Kalutara district, passing the Colombo district,
Egoda Uyana,
Panadura, Pinwattha and
Wadduwa are the foremost stations. The train calls at both of
Kalutara's stations, Kalutara north and Kalutara south. Next the ''Ruhunu Kumari'' passes Katukurunda, the site of Sri Lanka's first
railway accident
Classification of railway accidents, both in terms of cause and effect, is a valuable aid in studying rail (and other) accidents to help to prevent similar ones occurring in the future. Systematic investigation for over 150 years has led to the r ...
. Payagala north and Payagala south which are the stations of
Payagala city are also situated in this line. After Maggona,
Beruwala, Hettimulla and
Aluthgama
Aluthgama ( si, අලුත්ගම, translit=Alutgama; ta, அளுத்கமை, translit=Aḷutkamai) is a coastal town in Kalutara District in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It is approximately south of Colombo and north of Galle. A ...
stations ''Ruhunu Kumari'' enters the Galle district.
Bentota, a very popular tourist destination, is the first station situated in Galle district on this line. Induruwa,
Kosgoda, Ahungalla,
Balapitiya,
Ambalangoda, Kahawa,
Hikkaduwa, Dodanduwa,
Rajgama, Boossa, Gintota are the main stations situated before
Galle. Next the ''Ruhunu Kumari'' arrives at
Galle station.
Next, the ''Ruhunu Kumari'' starts her journey on the Galle-Matara line. The train has to back out of Galle station, due to its terminal-station layout. Katugoda is the first station on the line towards Matara.
Unawatuna
Unawatuna is a coastal town in Galle district of Sri Lanka. Unawatuna is a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka and known for its beach and corals. It is a suburb of Galle, about southeast to the city center and approximately south of Colomb ...
, Talpe,
Habaraduwa
Habaraduwa ( si, හබරදුව) is a small town in the Galle District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka.
It is located on the southern coast, approximately south of Galle.
See also
* Habaraduwa railway station
*List of towns in Southern Prov ...
,
Koggala, Kataluwa and
Ahangama
Ahangama is a suburb of Galle. It is located within the Principality of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, Southern Province. It is located approximately away from the Galle within Galle District of the Southern Province. It is situated on the boundary of Galle ...
are the last stations in Galle district. Midigama, Kumbalgama,
Weligama are the foremost stations in the Matara. Polwathumodara,
Mirissa
Mirissa ( si, මිරිස්ස, translit=Mirissa; ta, மிரிஸ்ஸ, translit=Miris'sa) is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in the Matara District of the Southern Province. It is approximately south of Colombo ...
,
Kamburugamuwa, and Walgama are the next stations. Finally ''Ruhunu Kumari'' has come to her destination:
Matara.
References
External links
*
* {{cite book, chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=htAmdNr75P0C&pg=PA49, title=Sri Lanka, edition=fourth, first=Royston, last=Ellis, date=May 2011, orig-year=2002, publisher=Bradt Travel Guides Ltd, location=England, pag
49 chapter=Train Timetable, isbn=978-1-84162346-7, url=https://archive.org/details/srilanka0000elli_r7q5/page/49
Named passenger trains of Sri Lanka