Nine Arch Bridge
A 91-metre viaduct of stone, brick and cement with no steel in it, thrown across a jungle gorge in 1921 — and the most photographed structure in the Sri Lankan hill country.
What Nine Arch Bridge actually is
The bridge carries the Badulla line across a gorge on the Demodara loop, and it was completed around 1921. The story everyone tells is that steel intended for the construction was requisitioned for the First World War, so the contractor built it in stone, brick and cement instead. Whether or not that is the whole truth, the result is a viaduct with no steel in it that has carried trains for a century.
Nine arches, roughly 91 metres long and 24 metres high, set in thick jungle with tea slopes above. Trains cross several times a day and the entire hillside knows the schedule — when one is due, a crowd gathers on the track and at the viewpoints, and phones come out.
It is free, it is genuinely impressive, and it is extremely busy between about nine and four in high season. Go at half past six in the morning and you may have it to yourself for twenty minutes.
Worth your attention
The walk down from Ella
Twenty-five minutes through tea and jungle from the town, or ten minutes from the Nine Arch Bridge road. The approach is half the pleasure.
The upper viewpoint
A terrace above the eastern end gives you the whole span with a train on it — the shot everyone is after, without standing on the track.
A train crossing
Ask your guesthouse for the day's times rather than trusting a blog; the timetable shifts. Trains are slow enough to watch properly.
Demodara loop
A kilometre on, the line spirals under itself to lose height — a piece of railway engineering worth a look if you have the time.
Before you go
Do this
- Arrive by 6:30am if you want it quiet
- Check that morning's train times locally, not online
- Walk in from Ella rather than driving to the nearest point
- Use the upper viewpoint for photographs
- Wear shoes with grip — the path is often wet
Know this first
- Standing on the track for photographs is how people have been killed here
- It is crowded from mid-morning to late afternoon in season
- Leeches on the path after rain
- Vendors and 'guides' at the approach can be pushy
Getting to Nine Arch Bridge
Nine Arch Bridge sits within reach of Ella, so almost everyone visits it as part of a stay there rather than as a trip in its own right. Our Ella guide covers where to stay, how long to give it and what else is nearby.
Coming straight from the airport, the relevant run is Colombo Airport to Ella — fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting inside arrivals with a name board.
Read the full Ella guideFrom Colombo Airport
Car up to 3 passengers; vans quoted on the route page. No night surcharge.
Nine Arch Bridge — frequently asked
How do you get to the Nine Arch Bridge?
On foot from Ella town in about 25 minutes, downhill through tea and jungle, or by tuk-tuk to the upper viewpoint at the eastern end and a short walk from there. There is no entrance fee.
What time do trains cross the Nine Arch Bridge?
Several times a day, but the timetable changes and delays are normal. Ask at your guesthouse on the morning rather than relying on times published online, which are often out of date.
Why was the Nine Arch Bridge built without steel?
The widely repeated explanation is that steel allocated to the project was diverted to the First World War effort, so it was built in stone, brick and cement instead. It has carried trains since around 1921 regardless.
When is the best time to visit?
Between 6:30 and 8:00am. By mid-morning it fills with visitors and stays busy until late afternoon. January to March gives the clearest weather; October and November are the wettest.
Other places worth the detour
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