Trincomalee line

Trincomalee line
Overview
Status	Functioning
Owner	Sri Lanka Railways
Termini	Gal Oya Junction Trincomalee
Stations	7
Service
Type	Regional rail
System	Sri Lanka Railways
Operator(s)	Sri Lanka Railways
History
Opened	1927 (1927)
Technical
Line length	70 km (43 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification	No
Route map Trincomalee Line Trincomalee China Bay Thampalakamam Mullipothanai Ganthalawa Kanthalai Agbopura Aluth Oya Batticaloa Line to Batticaloa Gal Oya Junction Batticaloa Line to Colombo Fort

The Trincomalee line is a railway line in Sri Lanka. Branching off the Batticaloa line at Gal Oya Junction, the line heads north-east through North Central and Eastern provinces before terminating at the eastern city of Trincomalee. The line is 70 kilometres (43 mi) long and has nine stations. The line opened in 1927. The rail line was originally called the Batticaloa-Trincomalee Light Railway, as only locomotives with light axle loads were permitted. The circuitous route led to some rail employees wondering if the construction costs were paid on a mileage basis, with a manager stating "it followed the path of an intelligent cow". In the 1950s the route was deviated removing a number of sharp curves and steep gradients together with a switch to heavier rails to match the rest of the country's rail system.