Demodara Railway Loop

  • 6

Folkestonejack.files.wordpress - web

The Demodara loop is an unusual creation. The railway lines which start from the Demodara station loops around the hill and goes through a long tunnel and comes out just underneath the station. It was designed as a solution to level the elevation difference between the start and the end of the loop. During its development in 1923 engineers were challenged to build the railway lines by maintaining a 1:44 inclination. One engineer named Devapura Jayasena Wimalasurendra came up with this amazing idea to build a loop after seeing a Kankanay (supervisor) of a local tea estate tied his turban around his head.

The demodara tunnel is about 127 meters long and the whole loop is about 900 meters long. If you are travelling in the train to Badulla after passing Demodara station you’d come across the tunnel and as soon as you pass it look up and you’d see the railway station on top.

You can even take a walk along the railway line from the Demodara station, through the tunnel and then walk up to the station back.

The famous nine arch bridge is just about four kilometers away from the station.