Demodara Railway Loop
Demodara
A railway that circles a hill before passing through a tunnel directly beneath the station. A marvel of British colonial railway engineering.
Demodara lies north of Ella, between Nine Arches Bridge and Badulla. To overcome the change in elevation, the railway here loops in a spiral: the train circles a small hill and then passes through a tunnel directly beneath Demodara station. It is one of the few spiral railways in the world, built in the 1920s. As you pass through, watch how the tracks change direction as they wind around. You can also watch from beside the station as the train disappears into the tunnel below it. It can be visited together with Nine Arches Bridge, and it's about 20 minutes by tuk-tuk from Ella.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Nine Arches Bridge
- Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory
- Little Adam's Peak
- Ella
- Ella Rock
- Ravana Falls
- Lipton's Seat
- Dambatenne Tea Factory