SRI LANKA: Henschel and Semaphores
05. - 18. January 2025

The old Henschel diesels are still running in Sri Lanka's tropical climate and almost all of the wonderful British semaphore signals have survived. But the change is not stopping at locomotives and infrastructure. New bridges are being built, facilities are being modernized - and with a lot of Chinese money, the financiers naturally want to sell their products, too. Anyone who has seen how China's money has changed the "traditional" railways in Indonesia or Vietnam must fear the worst for Sri Lanka as well! At present, we find the railways on the island largely untouched by ugly modernization, but I fear that this will not remain the case for much longer. The first new line in typical Chinese style has already gone into operation and, with lots of concrete, elevated track and modern Chinese diesels, lacks all romance.

Under the expert guidance of a Sri Lankan railway expert, we will explore the island by bus and train and also stop at some of the tourist highlights. An extension with a beach holiday is possible. I expect to see locomotives of the M4 series from Canada, M5 from Hitachi, M6 from Henschel, M7 from Brush, M8, M10 and M11 from India, M11 from France, lots of Hunslet locomotives for shunting and the Chinese Intercity units (9 have been delivered). A total of 16 Henschel M6s were imported in 1979, 2 fell victim to the civil war and the remaining 14 have been in tireless use for 45 years.

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1 Sunday 5. January 2025
Departure with a renowned airline from Frankfurt to Colombo (connecting flights possible). Rail&Fly and departures from other airports on request.

Day 2 Monday 06 January 2025
Arrival in Colombo and transfer to our hotel. Afterwards we travel, if possible by train, to the inner-city train stations Maradana and Colombo Fort to enjoy  the regular train-traffic on the tracks of the Ceylonese state railway. From suburban trains to intercity trains, everything passes through here. Overnight stay and dinner in Colombo.

Day 3 Tuesday 07 January 2025
In the morning we explore some of the most important sights of the country's rich history on a guided city tour and then visit the repair and locomotive workshops in Dematagoda and Ratmalana. Dinner and overnight stay in Colombo.

Day 4 Wednesday 08 January 2025
This morning we travel in 2nd class on the coastal railway to Galle on a regular Sri Lankan Railways train. Our luggage follows by road and is taken directly to the hotel. In the afternoon we take a trip from Galle to Matara, a branch line where time seems to have stood still. With one of the oldest diesel locomotive series, an M5 and only three 3rd class passenger carriages, our local train sets off. Dinner and overnight stay in Galle.

Day 5 Thursday 09 January 2025
Today we hit the road and motor north into the central highlands. At halfway point we see the railway line again, which runs spectacularly through the hills and tea plantations. We have no further activity planned today excepts many stops at the most beautiful photo spots along the railway, including the "9-arch viaduct" and the hairpin bend at Demadora. In the late afternoon we reach the town of Badulla. Dinner and overnight stay in Badulla.

Day 6 Friday 10 January 2025
We continue on the road to Badulla. The railway line winds its way through the Ceylonese mountains in countless loops and offers many beautiful photo opportunities with tea plantations, jungle, bridges and waterfalls. We will adjust our bus travel times to the timetables of the regular trains and hopefully get plenty of perfect shots. Some of the photo spots we are passing fell victim to "influencers" and are sometimes completely overcrowded by social media busybodies. Dinner and overnight stay in Badulla.

Day 7 Saturday 11 January 2025
We stay on the Badulla line and photograph the passenger trains hauled by Henschel M6. The M6 ​​were built in Kassel in 1979 and have so far braved the island's hot, humid climate. If you don't feel like photographing Henschels, you can take the regular trains through the mountains on your own or make yourself comfortable in the hotel. Badulla is served by the railway via a terminus and offers many activities there, too! Dinner and overnight stay in Badulla.

Day 8 Sunday 12 January 2025
The star of today will be the loop at Demodara: it offers many photo opportunities from the track level or from the surrounding hills - again with plenty of scheduled trains and the Henschel M6! Dinner and overnight stay in Badulla.

Day 9 Monday 13 January 2025
Today we will be enjoying one of the most spectacular train journeys in Sri Lanka: we travel for 6 hours from Badulla to Kandy. We continue through the mountains towards the north - if you could do it the "Chinese way", the fun would be over after 80 km of a straight track of tunnels and bridges. Thankfully, the Chinese have not advanced that far yet and instead we enjoy classic British colonial engineering with countless curves and viaducts, the train winds its way through the mountains and takes every detour that was technically necessary in former times to advance the construction of the railway. A certain tolerance towards other tourists and their strange behavior during the train journey is necessary! Dinner and overnight stay in Kandy.

Day 10 Tuesday 14 January 2025
In Kandy we are in railway heaven: the station is bursting with semaphore signals: single, double, signal bridges. Plus old diesels and lots of traffic. The mechanical main signal box is also worth a visit. Our investor friends from the East have already built a new road-bridge right over the station facilities, which thankfully doesn't affect our photography much. But once again: progress is also taking place in Sri Lanka! We will spend the whole day in the station area of ​​Kandy and also visit the railway depot. Dinner and overnight stay in Kandy.

Day 11 Wednesday 15 January 2025
Just a short distance away from Kandy another gem of mechanical signalling can be found, also hosting the state railway museum. Some "scrap" from decommissioned locomotives is also lying around, waiting to be reused in the steelworks or to decompose naturally. In the late afternoon we continue with our bus to the small town of Polgahawela. Dinner and basic overnight stay in Polgahawela.

Day 12 Thursday January 16, 2025
The entire district around the railway town of Polgahawela offers tradition at its finest: semaphore signals at every station, rustic railcars or classic British locomotive technology with M7 diesel locomotives in front of local trains. Speaking of railcars: a single example of the past glory is still operational and runs exactly 1 pair of services every day. The outward journey chugs along the route at night, but the southward return journey is scheduled for the early afternoon. With numerous semaphore signals available, we will certainly be able to photograph the railcar perfectly...but: if the last of the Mohicans fails, we may have to do it with a diesel locomotive. Dinner and overnight stay in Polgahawela.

Day 13 Friday 17 January 2025
We return to Colombo in 1st class (if available) on the morning Intercity train. We then take the bus from Colombo Fort station to Negombo along the railway line heading north. There we check into our 5* hotel and can spend the rest of the day taking final photos of regular traffic on the state railway tracks or enjoy the hotel´s amnenities. Farewell dinner and overnight stay in Negombo.

Day 14 Saturday 18 January 2025
Early morning transfer to the airport and flight home to Frankfurt. Arrival there in the late afternoon. Rail&Fly and flights to other airports on request.

End of the tour.

TOUR PRICE
3.250 Euro per person sharing a double room (land-only, no air tickets included)
3.990 Euro per person sharing a double room (air tickets included)
   580 Euro Single room supplement
Minimum number of participants 10, maximum 20. Registration deadline: 30. November 2024, thereafter on request.


SERVICES
• Economy class flights from Frankfurt to Colombo and back in economy class
• 12 overnight stays in 3-4* hotels in a double room including breakfast
• 1 overnight stay in a 5* hotel in a double room including breakfast
• Visit to the railway depot in Dematagoda
• Visit to the locomotive factory in Ratmalana
• All transfers required according to the program
• Photo permits for the state railway
• Local tour guide (English speaking)
• Specialist tour guide on site Eddie Holden
• Tour Manager Peter Patt

NOT INCLUDED
• Tourist visa for Sri Lanka
• Local tips (bus driver, charter train staff, local tour guide) approx. 15 € per participant/day
• Travel insurance (luggage, intl. health insurance, travel cancellation costs)
• Optional visits and entrance fees: Kandy Temple 15 €, Peredeniya Botanical Garden 15 €
• Visit to Mini Adams Peak in Ella and Negambo city tour through the fishing port

GOOD TO KNOW

The Sri Lankan government has recently eased the entry requirements for tourist purposes. Germans, for example, will now get an entry permit upon arrival. Participants of other nationalities should inquire about the entry regulations that apply to them. 

There are no compulsory travel vaccinations, the weather is generally warm (20-28°C on average), in the mountains it is naturally cooler. Short, sometimes heavy rain showers can occur at any time.

The Sri Lankan state railway company only allows seat reservations up to 30 days before departure. Demand always exceeds supply, so I cannot guarantee that we will get a reservation for every train. If seats are available in a lower class than those indicated in the program, we will reserve them. Many trains are overcrowded and it is still better to travel in 3rd class with a reservation than to have to fight for a standing place in 2nd class without a reservation.

Unfortunately, the nonsense of self-portrayal on social media has also found its way onto the most attractive railway lines in Sri Lanka. Since we will be traveling there partly because they are simply the most beautiful routes (with or without social media hustle and bustle), we will not be able to escape the influencers and "I'll be in the picture" tourists. The 9-arch viaduct is one of the most popular destinations even for non-railway enthusiasts and it is unfortunately very unlikely that we will be able to photograph it without people on the tracks. But at least you saw it...

Chasing the scheduled trains is not an easy exercise in Sri Lanka: most trains do not move very fast, but the roads either run far away from the railway lines often or are full of all kinds of other road users. On some days it is also possible to switch between the train and the parallel bus.

As on any trip, calmness, understanding and flexibility are the basic requirements for a great holiday in Sri Lanka, too. You won't make friends with the locals (or the Tour Manager) by being pedantic or believing that life must follow a Swiss-like punctuality everywhere. Everything is on the flow and even with pre-organized and confirmed activities, there is always a need (and time) for another discussion. Being late is not a problem and nobody bothers about it. 

Basically, Sri Lanka is a safe country to travel to and you will receive a friendly welcome. Petty crime occurs as in any other travel destination and can be limited with simple self-precaution. As is customary internationally, most larger hotels and major tourist attractions carry out entrance checks.

Please think about your travel insurance: no one is immune from unpleasant health surprises or life events that make a trip impossible. Cheap flight fares are often not refundable except for a few pittances from the airline, and hospital and doctor visits abroad can quickly reach very unpleasant heights.

This trip is not suitable for people with reduced mobility. Please note that our trip includes boarding and disembarking on uneven ground, in high-entry vehicles, or in environments that do not comply with German standards. If you are unsure whether this trip is suitable for you, please contact me.

© all images on this page: Eddie Holden