This article contains a list of

named passenger trains In the history of rail transport, dating back to the 19th century, there have been hundreds of named passenger trains. The following is a list of named trains. Lists of these have been organized into geographical regions. Trains with numeric na ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, by operator.

Sri Lanka Railways

Regular services

In the mid-1950s,

Sri Lanka Railways The Sri Lanka Railway Department (more commonly known as Sri Lanka Railways (SLR)) (Sinhala language, Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා දුම්රිය සේවය ''Śrī Laṃkā Dumriya Sēvaya''; Sri Lankan Tamil dialects, Tamil: ...

, under the leadership of B. D. Rampala, started to name major passenger services. The nine arch

Uttara Devi Hauled by S13 at Kurunegala Railway Station

Udarata Menike ''Udarata Menike'' () is a daytime passenger train operated by the Sri Lanka Railways that runs between Colombo and Badulla in the Highlands. Introduced in 1956, it is one of the first Named-passenger trains and one of the most popular trains ...

(Upcountry Maiden/Hill country Maiden) - No. 1015 & 1016 **''Colombo to Badulla (Runs via Kandy)''"A beginner's guide to Train travel in Sri Lanka . . ."
/ref> *

Podi Menike "Podi Manike" ( Sinhala:පොඩි මැණිකේ, meaning "Little Maiden") is a Sri Lankan passenger train running from Colombo Fort to Badulla. This journey covers about 300 km and is renowned for being the most beautiful train jou ...

(Little Maiden) - No. 1005 & 1006 **''Colombo to Badulla (Runs via Kandy)'' *

Tikiri Menike Tikiri is a village in Rayagada district of Orissa state in India. Tikiri is a small Industrial town located in Rayagada District in the State of Odisha. It is 50 kilometers away from Rayagada District Headquarter and 80 kilometers away from ...

(Little Maiden) - No. 1023 & 1024 **''Colombo to Nanu Oya'' * Senkadagala Menike (Maiden of “Senkadagala” – area name) - No. 1035 & 1036 **''Colombo to Kandy'' *

Yal Devi ''Yal Devi'' (; ) is a major express train in Sri Lanka. Operated by Sri Lanka Railways, the Yal Devi connects Colombo, the nation's commercial hub, with the northern city of Jaffna and its port at Kankesanturai, where the service terminates. ...

(Princess/Queen of Jaffna) - No. 4077& 4078 **''Colombo Fort to Kankasanthurai (Runs via Jaffna) '' *

Uttara Devi ''Uttara Devi'' (, Princess/Queen of the North ) is an Intercity Express train that runs between Colombo, the nation's commercial hub, with the northern cities of Jaffna and Kankesanturai. History The Uttara Devi train was introduced as Dey ...

(Princess/Queen of the North) - No. 4017 & 4018 ** ''Colombo Fort to Kankasanthurai (Intercity).'' * Udaya Devi or (Princess/Queen of the Rise -East) - No. 6011 & 6012 **''Colombo to Batticaloa'' * Rajarata Rejini (Regant of the land of kings) - No. 8085, 8086, 4085, & 4086 **''Anuradhapura to Beliatta (Runs via Colombo)'' *

Ruhunu Kumari ''Ruhunu Kumari '' (, Princess of "Ruhuna" - southern province) (Tamil: உருகுண இளவரசி) is a daytime passenger train that runs between Colombo and Matara in Sri Lanka. The train runs from matara to Maradana in the morni ...

(Princess of “Ruhuna” – southern province) - No. 8058 & 8059 **''Maradana to Matara (Runs via Colombo-fort)'' *

Muthu Kumari Muthu may refer to: * Leo Muthu, an Indian philanthropist, educationist and businessman * Michael Muthu, an Indian director, writer and actor * M. G. Muthu, a Tamil businessman * M. K. Muthu, an Indian actor, singer and politician * Nellai S. M ...

(Pearl Princess) - No. 3427 **''Panadura to Chilaw (Runs via Colombo-fort)'' *

Samudra Devi Samudra Devi (සමුද්‍ර දේවී) is a daily passenger train in Sri Lanka, operated by Sri Lanka Railways. The train runs on the Coastal line, from Galle to Maradana in the morning, and the return service is in the evening. Na ...

(Queen of the Oceans) - No. 8760 & 8327 **''Maradana to Galle'' * Galu Kumari (Princess of Galle) - No. 8056 & 8057 **''Maradana to Beliatta (Runs via Colombo-fort)'' *Sagarika (Ocean Girl) - No. 8096 & 8097 **''Maradana to Beliatta'' *Meena Gaya (Singing Fish) - No. 6079 **''Runs between Colombo and Batticaloa'' * Pulathisi - No. 6075 ** '' Colombo fort to Batticloa''

Discontinued services

Boat Mail The Rameswaram (Boat Mail) Express, formerly known as the Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express, is an express train connecting Rameswaram with the state capital Chennai via Tambaram, Chengalpet, Melmaruvattur, Viluppuram, Cuddalore port, Chida ...

(discontinued since 23 December 1964)http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-seltrain.html Famous Trains **''Service was operated between Colombo and

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, with ferry service to cross

Rama Sethu Adam's Bridge, also known as Rama's Bridge or ''Rama Setu'', is a chain of natural limestone shoals between Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, off the southeastern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island, off the northwest ...

.'' * Hijra **''Colombo Fort to Batticaloa via Trincomalee''

Special services

* Bradby Express - ''Colombo to Kandy'' (connecting the Colombo and Kandy legs of the annual

Bradby Shield Encounter The Bradby Shield Encounter, colloquially referred to as The Bradby, is an event within Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. This annual fixture takes place between two renowned boys’ schools in the country, namely Royal College, Colombo, ...

of rugby union)

Airport and aviation services

*Airport Express - ''Colombo Secretariat to

Bandaranaike International Airport Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) (commonly known as Colombo International Airport, Colombo–Bandaranaike International Airport, and locally as Katunayake International Airport) (IATA airport code, IATA: CMB, ICAO airport code, ICAO: VC ...

'' using a Hitachi Class S5 DMU4.

J.F. Tours & Travels

Viceroy Special The ''Viceroy Special'' is a special passenger train service operated by Lakindu & Thathsara (Ceylon) Ltd. Powered by the sole steam locomotive kept in operation in Sri Lanka, it is operated as a private train on all railway lines in the island. T ...

- ''Colombo to Kandy, Badulla, or Galle; by charter'' (Tourist excursion train powered by steam)

References

{{Rail transport in Sri Lanka